I 


BV  2370  .N53  W3  1858 
Watson,  Alexander,  1815? 

1865, 
History  of  the  New  York 


HISTORY 


-.  ■   6   iO?l 


i/ 


NEW  YORK  BIBLE  SOCIETY, 


FBOM  ITS  ORIGIN  IN  1823  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 


^ 


By  ALEXANDER  WATSON. 


C03IPILED    CHIEFLY    FROM    THE    RECORDS    OF    THE    SOCIETY,    BY 
REQUEST    OF    ITS    OFFICERS    AND    MANAGERS. 


NEW   YORK 
ANSON  D.  F.  RANDOLPH,  683  BROADWAY 


PREFACE. 


The  following  brief  record  of  the  origin  and  growth  of  the 
New  York  Bible  Society  was  undertaken,  as  stated  in  its  title, 
at  the  request  of  the  Officers  and  Managers  of  that  society. 

It  was  originally  intended  to  form  an  appendix  to  the  thirty- 
fourth  Annual  Report,  but,  although  condensed  in  its  details  as 
closely  as  seemed  at  all  compatible  with  tolerable  clearness  of 
statement,  it  unavoidably  grew  to  such  a  length  as  to  preclude 
its  publication  with  the  report. 

The  Printing  and  Publishing  Committee  of  the  Board,  to 
whose  judgment,  in  connection  with  some  additional  members 
pro  tem.j  the  matter  and  mode  of  publication  was  referred,  by 
their  Chairman,  C.  A.  Davison,  Esq.,  recommended  that  it  be 
issued  in  the  form  in  which  it  is  now  presented ;  as  calculated 
not  only  to  interest  the  numerous  friends  of  the  society,  but  also 
to  form  in  some  sense  a  manual  of  information,  particularly  for 
new  members  of  the  board,  who,  under  the  peculiar  limitations 
of  the  6th  article  of  the  constitution,  come  in  annually,  and  not 
unfrequently  constitute  a  pretty  large  proportion  of  the  whole 
number  of  managers. 

Most  of  the  statements  of  fact  have  been  derived  from  the 
official  records  of  the  society,  but  for  the  circumstances  pre- 


4  PREFACE. 

ceding  its  organization  the  compiler  is  indebted  to  Messrs. 
Frederick  Bull,  and  Walter  M.  Smith,  Esquires;  while  a  few 
extraneous  facts  referred  to  in  connection  with  its  early  history 
have  been  derived  from  Annual  Reports  of  the  American  Bible 
Society,  files  of  the  New  York  Observer,  and  a  volume  of  the 
Missionary  Register. 

The  various  items  that  are  inserted  somewhat  out  of  their 
regular  order  of  time  will  be  found  included  in  brackets,  to  dis- 
tinguish them  from  the  current  narrative. 

The  spirit  of  prayerful  and  unselfish  devotion  to  the  Master's 
work,  which  crops  out  everywhere  in  the  records  of  the  society, 
constitutes  the  strong  primitive  basis  of  its  entire  organization. 
This  at  first  interested  the  writer  in  perusing  the  details  of  its 
work,  and  has  made  the  preparation  of  this  unambitious  sketch 
a  labour  of  love.  Should  it  prove  in  any  degree  useful,  the  re- 
w'ard  of  that  labour  will  be  complete. 

For  the  opinions  implied  or  incidentally  expressed  in  the 
work,  the  compiler,  so  far  as  he  is  aware,  is  alone  responsible. 
The  normal  relations  of  Principal  (or  Parent,  though  the  w^ord 
is  infelicitous)  and  Auxiliary,  in  all  voluntary  associations  for 
the  purposes  of  Christian  benevolence,  is  a  matter  of  deep  and 
general  interest  to  the  Christian  community ;  and  the  convictions 
expressed  at  the  close  of  this  narrative,  in  reference  to  the 
arrangement  equitable  and  desirable  for  this  society,  extend 
equally  to  all  other  similar  societies  in  healthful  existence ;  and 
the  practical  recognition  of  the  principles  involved  in  them  is 
\dewed  as  essential  to  the  happiest  and  most  efficient  action  in 
every  great  department  of  associated  Christian  efibrt. 


HISTORY 


NEW  YORK  BIBLE  SOCIETY, 


182  3. 

This  society,  originally  known  as  the  "Young 
Men's  New  York  Bible  Society,"  like  most  of  the 
important  benevolent  enterprises  of  our  age,  sprang 
out  of  an  awakened  religious  feeling  in  the  com- 
munity in  which  it  had  its  birth. 

At  the  opening  of  the  year  1822,  an  interesting 
and  powerful  work  of  Divine  grace  was  in  prog- 
ress in  one  of  the  largest  and  most  influential 
Presbyterian  Churches  in  the  city  (the  Rev.  Dr. 
Spring's),  which,  having  commenced  early  in  the 
winter,  continued  through  the  spring  of  that  year, 
extending,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  to  other 
churches  and  congregations.  As  the  first-fruits  of 
this  outpouring  of  God's  Spirit,  about  one  hundred 
members  were  added  to  the  church  first  alluded  to, 
at  two  successive  communion  seasons,  while  to 
others  many  additions  were  also  made. 


6  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1823. 

The  effect  of  such  a  visitation  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  very  apparent  in  causing  an  unusual  activity 
in  the  religious  life  of  the  city. 

In  the  summer  the  yellow  fever  prevailed  to  an 
alarming  extent,  so  that  below  Beekman  Street  the 
citizens  left  their  homes  and  places  of  business  to 
avoid  it.  On  their  return  in  the  autumn,  measures 
were  taken  to  interest  the  young  men  of  the  city 
in  the  cause  of  the  Bible. 

In  the  spring  of  1823  the  then  existing  New 
York  Bible  Society,  taking  into  consideration  the 
circumstance  that  no  Bible  association  existed  in 
this  city  which  enlisted  the  active  exertions  of 
young  men  exclusively,  proposed  the  formation  of 
a  Young  Men's  Bible  Society,  to  be  auxiliary  to 
them.  With  this  view  they  appointed  a  committee, 
of  which  John  R.  Hurd,  Esq.,  was  chairman.  Upon 
reflection  and  conference  it  was  determined  to  invite 
a  number  of  young  men  from  the  different  evangel- 
ical churches  to  meet  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Hurd,  in 
White  Street,  for  general  consultation  and  action. 

At  this  meeting,  composed  perhaps  entirely  of 
Sabbath  school  teachers,  it  was  resolved  to  form 
a  Young  Men's  Bible  Society ;  and  after  further  con- 
sultation, and  the  preparation  of  a  constitution,  and 
list  of  officers,  circulars  were  issued  calling  a  public 
meeting  in  a  school-room  in  Thames  Street,  on  the 
22d  September,  1823. 

On  this  occasion,  John  R.  Hurd,  Esq.,  presided,  and 
Mr.  Anthony  P.  Halsey  was  chosen  secretary.     The 


1823.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  7 

meeting  was  addressed  by  clergymen  and  laymen 
of  different  religious  denominations,  and  it  was 
unanimously  determined  to  form  the  proposed 
Young  Men's  New  York  Bible  Society.  A  Consti- 
tution, giving  effect  to  this  decision,  was  read  by  the 
chairman,  and  adopted. 

The  chairman  also  submitted  a  list  of  names  of 
officers  and  managers,  who  were  by  resolution  de- 
clared elected.  The  following  are  the  names  of 
the  officers : 

President HORATIO  GILLET. 

Vice  Presidents. 

1.  Anthony  P.  Halsey,        4.  Louis  King, 

2.  Georgh  Colgate,  5.  Henry  Bennett, 

3.  John  Neilson,  Jr.,  6,  Joseph  Sands,  (in  place  of 

Fred.  T.  Peet,  ^vllo  declined.) 

Secretaries. 
Frederick  Bull,  Corresponding. 
Frederick  A.  Guion,  Recording,  (who  served  one  month, 

and  exchanged  positions  with  Mr.  Geo.  A.  Bartow,  who 

became  first  Recording  Secretary.) 

Treasurer Silas  M.  Butler. 

Of  the  managers  elected  at  this  time,  several 
formally  declined,  and  several  others  resigned  within 
a  few  months ;  their  places  were  filled  with  some 
apparent  difficulty ;  one  seat  at  least,  after  a  second 
or  third  resignation  of  its  incumbent,  remaining 
vacant  until  the  close  of  the  year  1824. 

[The  original  constitution  adopted  at  this  meet- 


8  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1823. 

ing  has  been  amended  at  various  times,  in  accom- 
modation to  the  changed  relations  of  the  society, 
consequent  upon  the  dissolution  of  its  first  Parent 
Society,  and  other  circumstances.  The  principal 
alterations  were  made  in  1832  and  1849.  In  the 
former  year,  by  inserting  the  words  "  without  note 
or  comment,"  in  the  2d  article ;  and  by  increasing 
the  number  of  managers  to  forty,  dividing  them 
into  two  classes,  securing  the  annual  expiration  of 
the  terms  of  service  of  one  half  the  Board.  In  1840 
the  2d  article  was  amended,  by  omitting  the  words 
"  to  engage  the  co-operation  of  young  persons  in  ;" 
thus  in  effect  changing  the  declared  object  of  the 
society.  As  a  necessary  consequence,  article  3d 
was  omitted,  and  no  more  auxiliaries  sought.  The 
age  of  eligibility  was  also  changed  (article  6th), 
by  making  "twenty-one"  and  "forty"  the  minimum 
and  maximum,  instead  of  "eighteen"  and  "thirty- 
five."  In  1854  the  6th  article  was  again  amended, 
by  increasing  the  number  of  managers  to  "fifty." — 
(See  Document  A.,  Appendix.)] 

The  Board  of  Managers,  having  been  directed  by 
the  society  to  hold  their  first  meeting  on  Thursday, 
the  25th  instant,  met  on  that  day,  the  President, 
Horatio  Gillet,  in  the  chair,  and  appointed  commit- 
tees to  prepare  by-laws,  and  to  obtain  a  suitable 
depository  for  Bibles,  &c. 

[This  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Managers  v/as 
opened  by  reading  the  Scriptures,  but  the  mode  of 
closins:  is  not  stated.     It  however  became  the  cus- 


1823.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  9 

torn  to  open  and  close  with  reading  the  Scriptures, 
but  the  first  meeting  of  each  new  Board  was  opened 
with  prayer. 

In  August,  1839,  it  was  resolved  in  future  to  close 
the  meetings  of  the  Board  with  prayer,  which  prac- 
tice still  continues,  generally  followed  by  the  dox- 
ology. 

Throughout  the  whole  course  of  the  Society's 
existence,  the  meetings  of  its  Board  of  Managers 
have  been  well  attended  ;  members  absenting  them- 
selves from  several  consecutive  meetings  without 
rendering  an  excuse  were  cut  off  by  a  stringent 
by-law,  which  has  of  late  been  so  modified  as  to 
require  a  vote  of  the  Board  for  the  actual  excision 
of  a  member.] 

At  a  meeting  held  October  16th,  1823,  a  commit- 
tee was  appointed  to  nominate  standing  commit- 
tees;  and  the  "president  and  secretary"  were 
authorized  to  purchase  100  Bibles  "for  the  use  of 
the  members,"  to  be  placed  in  care  of  the  secretary 
until  a  depository  was  provided.  At  this  time  a 
grant  by  the  American  Bible  Society  of  the  free  use 
of  a  room  in  the  Bible  House,  Nassau  Street,  "  for 
the  meetings  of  the  Board,"  was  also  reported.  At 
the  meeting  in  November  (13th),  the  committee  re- 
ported five  standing  committees  (see  Document  C, 
Appendix,)  and  the  store  of  Mr.  J.  P.  Havens  as  a 
depository  for  Bibles,  &c. 

The  society,  thus  organized  and  prepared  for 
duty,  seems  to  have  stood  for  a  time,  like  the  la- 


10  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1823. 

bourers  in  the  market-place,  at  a  loss,  and  waiting 
for  employment.  The  field  in  which  they  had  ex- 
pected to  work  appeared  to  be  already  full  of  la- 
bourers ;'  and  almost  the  first  thing  discovered,  when 
they  attempted  to  begin  was,  that  the  w^orkmen 
were  in  one  another's  way.  There  were  four,  if 
not  five,  Bible  societies  already  in  active  existence, 
besides  various  ward  Bible  associations,  the  New 
York  S.  S.  Union,  and  the  New  York  City  Tract 
Society  ;  each  of  which  was  doing  at  least  a  part  of 
the  work  which  a  young  men's  Bible  society  might 
be  well  adapted  to  perform. 

These  societies  were  as  follows,  viz. : 

1.  The  "American  Bible  Society,"  formed  May  8th,  1816. 

2.  The  "  New  York  Female  Auxiliary  Bible  Society,"  formed 

May  11th,  1816. 

3.  The  "Marine  Bible  Society,"  formed  March  12th,  1817. 

4.  The  "New  York  Bible  Society,"  formed  in  1819  by  a  union 

of  the  "New  York  Bible  Society,"  established  in  1809,  with 
the  "Auxiliary  New  York  Bible  Society,"  established  in 
1813,  which,  previous  to  their  union,  had  distributed  an 
aggregate  of  27,695  volumes,  of  which  1,588  were  New 
Testaments.  It  was  recognized  as  auxiliary  by  the  Ameri- 
can Bible  Society  in  February,  1820. 

5.  The  "Young  Ladies'  New  York  Bible  Society,"  formed , 

which  became  merged  in  the  New  York  Female  B.  S.  (No.  2), 
in  1836. 

None  of  these  societies  seemed  quite  prepared 
either  to  make  way  for  the  new  organization  to 
work  directly,  or  to  accord  to  it  a  position  higher 
or  more  definite  than  that  of  a  subordinate  or  aux- 


1823.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  11 

iliary  in  what  was  itself  really  an  auxiliary  work ; 
viz.,  the  supply  of  Sabbath  schools,  through  the 
New  York  Sunday  School  Union  (chiefly  with  books 
for  premiums). 

Its  relation  to  its  parent  was  defined  by  the  fol- 
lowing amendment  to  the  constitution  of  that  soci- 
ety, adopted  in  November,  1823: 

Every  member  of  the  Young  Men's  Bible  Society ^  who  shall 
have  paid  at  one  time  to  that  society  the  sum  of  ten  dollars,  or 
who  shall  have  been  seven  years  a  member  of  that  society,  shall 
be  entitled  to  a  life  membership  in  the  New  York  Bible  Society 
on  payment  of  the  further  sum  of  ten  dollars ;  and  the  President 
and  other  officers  of  the  Young  Men's  New  York  Bible  Society 
shall  be  honorary  members  for  the  time  being  of  the  New  York 
Bible  Society,  and  may  attend  the  meetings  of  its  Board  of  Man- 
agers. 

This  was  kindly  done,  but  did  not  afford  work, 
which  the  newly  formed  society  seemed  chiefly  to 
desire. 

Thus,  like  a  true  child  of  faith,  it  stood  for  some 
months  in  the  attitude  of  inquiry  as  to  what  the 
Master  would  have  it  to  do.  Its  friends  probably 
asked  the  question  aloud  in  the  social  intercourse 
of  Christian  brethren;  for  at  its  December  meeting 
(22d)  the  following  communication  was  received 
from  the  Parent  Board  ; 

November  28th,  1823. 
Mr.  Fred'k  Bull,  Cor.  Sec. — 

Sir  : — I  communicate  the  following  resolutions,  adopted  by 

our  Board  of  Managers  at  their  last  meeting : 

Resolved,  That  the  correspondijig  secretary  be  a  committee  to 


12  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1824. 

devise  a  plan  for  farthering  the  vie^Ys  and  desires  of  the  New 
York  Bible  Society. 

Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Young  Men's 
New  York  Bible  Society  be  requested  to  appoint  a  committee  to 
confer  and  unite  with  the  aforesaid  committee  for  the  aforesaid 
purpose. 

Wm.  C.  Mulligan, 

Cor.  Sec.  N.  Y.  B.  S. 

Whereupon  Mr.  Bull  was  appointed  a  committee 
on  the  part  of  the  Board. 

182  4. 

In  February,  (26th)  1824,  the  distributing  com- 
mittee were  directed  to  obtain  and  sign  printed  or- 
ders on  the  depository,  for  Bibles  and  Testaments, 
and  distribute  some  of  them  among-  the  managers. 

In  March  (25th),  the  depository  was  reported  to 
be  in  the  same  state  as  in  February,  and  in  April, 
the  same  as  in  March,  except  the  delivery  of  one 
Bible. 

At  the  April  (22d)  meeting,  Mr.  Bull  reported 
that  nothing  definite  had  been  done  by  the  commit- 
tees of  conference,  and  the  following  resolution, 
indicating  some  proper  impatience,  under  what 
seemed  to  be  coerced  inaction,  w^as  adopted.  May 
27th: 

Resolved,  That  the  following  proposal  be  made  to  the  Board 
of  Managers  of  the  New  York  Bible  Society, — That  this  society 
will  undertake  to  supply  such  Svmday  schools  of  this  city  with 
Bibles  and  Testaments  as  have  hitherto  been  supplied  by  the 
Parent  Society. 


1824.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY,  13 

Resolved^  That  a  tender  of  the  personal  services  of  the  mem- 
bers of  this  Board  be  made  to  the  Parent  Society,  to  aid  in  the 
distribution  of  the  Bible,  whenever  notice  shall  be  given  that 
such  services  are  needed. 

While  thus  seeking  for  an  opening  for  active  la- 
bour, its  first  direct  work  came  to  it  in  the  form  of 
two  applications  which  were  received  at  this  meet- 
ing. One  was  from  the  Female  S.  S.,  No.  8,  through 
Mr.  Russel!,  (the  kind  and  number  of  books  not 
stated,)  which  was  granted.  The  other  was  an  ap- 
plication, reported  by  Mr.  Colgate,  as  made  to 
Mr.  Winterton,  in  behalf  of  a  tribe  of  Indians  in 
the  western  part  of  the  State,  for  "a  supply  of 
Bibles  ;"  and  Mr.  W.  was  authorized  to  draw  on  the 
depository  for  as  many  as  he  might  deem  expedient. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Board,  held  August  30th, 
1824,  the  following  communication  was  received 
through  the  corresponding  secretary : 

New  York,  August  28th,  1824. 
Mr.  George  A.  Dwight — 

Dear  Sir  : — I  have  the  pleasure  to  announce  to  you  that  the 
proposal  of  your  society  to  undertake  to  supply  such  Sunday 
schools  of  this  city  with  Bibles  and  Testaments,  as  have  hith- 
erto been  supplied  by  the  Parent  Society,  has  been  acceded  to  by 
our  directors.  The  discussion  to  which  it  gave  rise,  while  it 
showed  the  importance  of  this  part  of  our  society's  distribution, 
also  gave  a  favourable  \'iew  of  the  sentiments  and  intentions  of 
yours  in  relation  to  it.  We  have  always  considered  that  to  sup- 
ply the  Sunday  schools  was  among  the  best  plans  to  carry  into 
effect  the  objects  of  our  association;  the  Board  therefore  receive, 
with  some  degree  of  solicitude,  the  application  to  give  up  their 
superintendence  of  it  to  your  Society :  they  however  finally  con- 


14  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1824. 

sented  to  relinquish  it  in  your  favourj  and  in  doing  so  are  fully 
impressed  with  the  opinion  that  they  yield  to  you  a  responsibil- 
ity of  no  ordinary  character,  and  a  gratification  w-hich  has  been 
theirs  for  several  years.  This  gratification  is  freely  transferred, 
"because  it  is  not  less  the  duty,  than  it  should  be  the  wish  of  our 
society,  to  add  to  the  pleasures  of  their  auxiliary  institutions. 
From  the  present  time  the  Smiday  schools  of  our  city  will  be 
referred  to  your  managers  for  Bibles  and  Testaments,  and  our 
committee,  hitherto  charged  with  supplying  them,  will  cease  to 
act.  These  schools  will,  for  some  time  at  least,  fully  employ 
your  resources.  For  that  reason,  as  well  as  for  others  stated  in 
my  interview  with  you,  our  managers  request  that  they  may  be 
the  sole  object  of  your  attention.  While  such  an  arrangement 
exists,  your  attention  is  directed  to  a  specific  object,  while  ours 
is  given  to  other  claims,  without  interfering  with  yours,  and 
with  the  best  effect  on  our  kindred  institutions. 
I  am.  Sir,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

William  C.  Mulligan, 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  N.  Y.  B.  S. 

Whereupon  the  following  preamble  and  resolu- 
tion, ofFered  by  Mr.  W.  M.  Smith,  were  adopted : 

Whereas  it  has  been  considered  expedient  that  the  several 
Bible  societies  in  this  city  should  have  a  separate  sphere  of  ac- 
tion, and  as  this  Board  have  expressed  their  opinion  to  that 
effect,  and  have  proposed  to  the  Parent  Society  to  allow  them 
the  right  of  supplying  the  Sunday  schools  of  this  city,  and  as 
said  society  have  consented  to  allow  this  Board  that  part  of  their 
duties.     Therefore, 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  to  superin- 
tend the  furnishing  of  the  Sunday  schools,  to  whom  all  applica- 
tions for  Bibles  and  Testaments  must  be  made. 


1824.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  15 

Messrs.  Dwight,  W.  M.  Smith,  Sands,  Gibson,  and 
Russell  were  appointed  said  committee. 

The  work  thus  seriously  committed  to  the  society 
it  set  about  performing  in  the  manner  which  seems 
to  have  been  previously  adopted,  and  for  which 
therefore  the  Board  must  not  be  held  responsible. 
It  was  a  system  of  working  by  indirection,  of  mak- 
ing bestowments  at  second  or  third  hand ;  hence 
we  find  in  September  (23d),  1824,  that  the  "S.  S. 
committee  had  drawn  on  the  depository  for  100 
Testaments  and  twenty-five  Bibles,  for  the  use  of 
the  distributing  committee  of  the  New  York  Sun- 
day School  Association." 

In  October  (20th),  the  S.  S.  committee  report  not 
having  drawn  on  the  depository,  because  it  was 
empty :  and  the  purchasing  committee  was  author- 
ized to  obtain  fifty  Bibles  and  200  Testaments. 

At  the  November  (11th)  meeting,  the  S.  S.  com- 
mittee report  these  books  as  placed  at  the  disposal  of 
the  "visiting  committee,"  which  is  supposed  to  mean 
the  visiting  committee  of  the  N.  Y.  S.  S.  Union. 

[The  report  of  the  New  York  Bible  Society,  the 
parent  of  this  society,  for  1826,  illustrates  this  un- 
fortunate idiosyncrasy.  At  its  anniversary  in  that 
year,  a  resolution  was  advocated,  and  passed,  "that 
it  is  the  incumbent  duty  of  this  society  to  supply 
the  wants  of  this  city."  But  the  report  showed,  that 
of  the  2,331  volumes,  reported  as  issued  during  the 
year,  only  345  volumes  had  been  directly  disposed 
of,  if  eA^en  so  many;   of  the  rest,  1,870  had  been 


16  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1825. 

taken  by  the  Young  Men's  Bible  Society,  and  116 
by  other  city  Bible  associations.] 

At  the  first  anniversary  of  the  society,  held  at 
the  City  Hotel,  November  22d,  1824,  Henry  Ben- 
nett, Esq.,  was  made  President ;  George  Colgate, 
Joseph  Sands,  Wm.  Winterton,  Frederick  A.  Guion, 
Oliver  E.  Cobb,  and  Henry  E.  Thomas,  Vice  Presi- 
dents ;  Geo.  A.  Dwight,  Corresponding  Secretary ; 
Marinus  Willett,  Jr.,  Recording  Secretary,  (on  the 
resignation  of  Mr.  Bartow,)  and  Walter  M.  Smith, 
Treasurer. 

The  names  of  the  managers  chosen  at  this  anni- 
versary are  not  given  in  the  minutes. 

1825. 

In  January,  1825,  a  communication  was  received 
from  the  New  York  Female  Auxiliary  B.  S.,  con- 
taining a  request  that  the  Board  would  examine 
and  supply  the  necessities  of  the  sixth  ward  ;  upon 
which  it  was  resolved,  "that  the  subject  be  laid 
before  the  Board  of  the  Parent  Society,  and  that 
they  be  requested  to  inform  us  what  measures  they 
have  adopted  with  respect  to  visitations  in  the  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  city."  No  further  mention  is  made 
of  this  first  proposition  to  engage  directly  in  the 
work  of  supplying  the  destitute;  and  so  far  as  can 
be  learned,  the  only  direct  labour  at  this  time  was 
a  limited  distribution  by  members  of  the  Board. 

In  the  summer  of  1825,  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  devise  means  to  enlarge  the  funds  of  the 


1825.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  17 

society;  and  their  report,  presented  July  Gth,  is  as 
follows : 

The  committee  appointed  to  devise  means  to  enlarge  the 
funds  of  the  society  respectfully  report :  That  they  have  given 
to  the  subject  the  consideration  due  to  its  importance,  and  are 
fully  of  opinion  that  the  first  care  of  the  Board  should  be  to  en- 
gage the  co-operation  of  the  numerous  Sabbath  school  teachers 
of  this  city;  inasmuch  as,  generally  considered,  their  feelings 
are  alive  to  any  object  tending  to  advance  the  Redeemer's 
kingdom,  and  consequently  must  be  highly  favourable  to  the 
spread  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Added  to  this,  the  fact  of  their 
being  almoners  of  our  bounty  must  unite  their  hearts  to  us  by  a 
tie  of  no  ordinary  nature.  We  are  not  merely  working  together 
in  the  same  cause,  but  are  immediately  acting  together,  and 
aiding  each  other,  and  breaking  and  cultivating  the  same  spot. 
We  are  supplying  the  seed;  they  are  scattering  it;  and  we  are 
both  looking  for  the  time,  when  the  dews  and  showers  having 
descended,  a  glorious  harvest  shall  be  gathered  from  the  same 
field. 

While  it  is  a  fact  that  many  of  the  class  alluded  to  have 
aided  us  by  funds,  influence,  and  personal  assistance,  we  have 
reason  to  believe  that  the  number  is  small,  very  small,  in  com- 
parison with  what  it  might  and  ought  to  be. 

Your  committee  therefore  recommend  the  follow- 
ing resolutions,  vi?. : 

1.  Resolved,  That  the  corresponding  secretary  be  requested  to 
address,  through  the  medium  of  the  New  York  Observer  and 
Religious  Chronicle,  the  young  men  of  the  city,  and  particularly 
those  attached  to  Sabbath  schools,  inviting  their  co-operation  in 
aid  of  this  society. 

2.  Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed  to  confer 
with  the  chairman  of  the  Sunday  school  teachers  of  this  city, 
and  request  him  to  make  known  to  that  body,  at  their  next  meet- 


18  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1825. 

ing,  the  special  object  of  this  society,  with  a  view  of  extending 
the  information  throughout  the  schools. 

3.  Resolved^  That  the  Sabbath  schools  of  this  city  be  dis- 
tricted, and  a  committee  of  nine  appointed,  into  whose  hands  the 
subscription  books  of  the  Society  shall  be  placed,  for  the  purpose 
of  visiting  said  Sabbath  schools,  and  engaging  the  exertions  of 
such  as  have  not  already  come  out  to  the  help  of  the  Society. 

4.  Resolved,  That  the  said  committee  be  requested  to  wait 
upon  the  chairman  or  secretaiy  of  the  visiting  committee  of  the 
New  York  Sunday  School  Union  Society,  and  request  that  the 
said  committee  make  known  to  the  several  schools  in  their  visits 
the  object  of  this  Society,  and  endeavour  to  increase  the  interest 
in  its  favour.  In  behalf  of  the  committee, 

H.  E.  Thomas,  Chairman. 

This  report  was  adopted,  and  a  committee  ap- 
pointed accordingly,  whose  report  was  presented  in 
September,  1825,  as  follows : 

The  committee  appointed  to  confer  with  the  Association  of 
Teachers  and  Visiting  Committees  of  Sabbath  Schools  report : 

That  they  have  attended  to  the  duty  assigned  them,  and,  on 
the  part  of  the  former  body,  have  had  the  satisfaction  of  having 
a  resolution  passed,  expressive  of  their  high  sense  of  the  services 
of  this  Society,  and  our  cordial  reception  as  a  powerful  auxiliary 
to  the  Sabbath  school  cause. 

On  behalf  of  the  coipmittee, 

H.  E.  Thomas,  Chairman, 

At  the  second  anniversary,  held  Dec.  26th,  1825, 
the  following  board  of  officers  and  managers  were 
chosen.  The  names  of  a  few  who  seem  to  have 
been  efficient  labourers  in  the  first  year  of  the  So- 
ciety are  missing  in  it ;  but  the  list  is  inserted,  as 
probably  representing  fairly  the  Christian  charac- 


1826.) 


NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY. 


19 


ter  and  stamina  of  the  organization  at  that  point  of 
its  history.  Those  marked  with  a  *  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Board  in  the  first  year.  Those  with  a  t 
were  elected  at  the  first  anniversary.  The  rest 
were  new  members: 

President *  Henry  Bennett. 

Vice  Presidents, 
*1.  George  Colgate,  *4.  Wm.  Winterton, 

*2.  Joseph  Sands,  *6.  Oliver  E.  Cobb, 

*3.  Marinus  Willett,  Jr.,      *6.  Frederick  A.  Guion. 

Secretaries. 
*  George  A.  Dwight,  Cor.        f  Alfred  Edwards,  Rec. 
Treasurer  ......  *  Walter  M.  Smith. 

Managers. 
t  Henry  E.  Thomas,  fWm.  E.  Lewis, 

*  A.  G.  Cochrane,       *  Jas.  P.  Drummond, 

*  Theoph.  Russell,      *  Jas.  T.  Smith, 

*  Henry  Roosevelt,      John  H.  Williams, 
Win.  E.  Dodge,  Wm.  P.  Disosway, 


*  Frederick  Bull, 

*  E.  H.  Stokes, 
t  Jas.  H.  Rathbone, 

*  R.  A.  Striker, 
*Finley  Wright, 
Washington  Murray,  John  Post, 

H.  S.  Whittemore,      Jeremiah  Wilbur, 
Henry  H.  Leeds,  T.  G.  Talmage, 

Wm.  Hurry,  Wm.  P.  Donaldson 


F.  A.  Bokee, 


Nathan  Caswell, 


Theo.  W.  Porter, 
SoutherPd  Douglass, 
Edmund  K.  Bussing, 
Jireh  Bull, 
Noel  Robertson, 


(See  Document  B,  Appendix.) 


1826. 

Through  the  years  1825  and  1826  the  mode  of 
operation  continued  as  before.  At  the  close  of  the 
former  year,  one  Bible  and  two  Testaments  re- 
mained in  the  depository,  and  435  Bibles  and  1,350 


20  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1826. 

Testaments  had  been  distributed  "  through  a  com- 
mittee of  the  S.  S.  Union  Society,"  who  visited  the 
schools  monthly,  and  rewarded  the  scholars  by  drafts 
upon  the  depository  of  the  Y.  M.  N.  Y.  Bible  So- 
ciety. A  grant  of  fifty  Bibles  had  also  been  made 
in  June  to  the  "  Female  Union  S.  S.  Association." 

Of  the  280  Bibles  and  1,423  Testaments  furnished 
to  the  N.  Y.  S.  S.  Union  in  1826,  "  all  the  Bibles  and 
about  350  Testaments  were  given  as  rewards;  the 
remainder  of  the  latter  for  the  use  of  the  schools." 

In  the  course  of  this  year  the  city  was  districted 
for  the  collection  of  funds,  and  a  committee  ap- 
pointed to  divide  the  board  of  managers  into  com- 
mittees for  soliciting  aid,  within  the  limits  of  the 
several  districts.  It  reported  as  follows,  at  the 
meeting  in  June : 

Front  Street. — Henry  Bennett,  M,  Willett,  Jr.,  Jas.  T.  Smith. 

Maiden  Lane.—R.  E.  Thomas,  H.  S.  Whittemore,  T.  G.  Tal- 
mage. 

Washington  and  West  Streets. — ^W.  Murray,  N.  Caswell,  Noel 
Robertson. 

South  Street.— F.  Bull,  J.  P.  Drummond,  T.  Russell. 

Williain  and  Fulton  Streets. — F.  A.  Bokee,  Wm.  Hurry, 
R.  0.  Dwight. 

Greenicich  Street. — Henry  Roosevelt,  R.  A.  Striker. 

Pearl  Street.— Geo.  A.  Dwight,  H.  H.  Leeds,  W.  E.  Dodge. 

Wall  Street.— 0.  E.  Cobb,  F.  A.  Guion. 

Pine  and  Cedar  Streets. — W.  M.  Smith,  Jos.  Sands,  E.  K. 
Bussing. 

Broadway. — Wm.  Winterton,  A.  G.  Cochrane,  E.  H.  Stokes. 

These  committees  visited  the  several  districts  as- 


1827.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  21 

signed  to  them,  and  obtained  something  more  than 
$250  in  donations  to  the  Society. 

1827. 

Early  in  the  year  1827  a  grant  of  Bibles  and  Test- 
aments to  the  value  of  $50  was  made  to  the  Yomig 
Ladies'  New  York  Bible  Society.  It  was  also  re- 
solved to  furnish  supplies  to  the  Female  S.  S.  Union. 
The  entire  distribution  for  the  year  amounted  to 
2,248  volumes.  In  October  a  donation  of  100  Bibles 
and  200  Testaments  was  received  from  the  New 
York  Bible  Society,  for  which  thanks  were  formally 
voted  at  the  anniversary. 

[In  pursuance  of  the  object  proposed  in  the  third 
article  of  the  constitution,  repeated  efforts  were  made 
in  various  directions  for  the  formation  of  auxiliaries. 

In  18^7,  a  committee,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Havens, 
Walter  M.  Smith,  Kimball,  and  Rev.  Albert  Judson, 
succeeded  in  forming  the  Young  Men's  Brooklyn 
Bible  Society;  which,  so  far  as  shown  by  the  record, 
is  the  only  auxiliary  from  which  the  young  parent 
received  any  amount  of  material  aid. 

The  interchange  of  Christian  counsels  and  court- 
esies with  its  Orange  Count}^  auxiliary,  formed  in 
1830,  was  pleasant,  and  doubtless  mutually  encour- 
aging, but  not  otherwise  important. 

Its  experiments  in  forming"  Youth's  Bible  Associa- 
tions," reserving  the  right  of  appointing  some  mem- 
ber of  the  board  as  president,  proved  also  quite  un- 
satisfactory ;  and  though  for  some  years,  particularly 


22  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1828. 

in  1832,  the  formation  of  ward  and  other  auxiliaries 
was  pursued  with  earnestness,  and  clung  to  with 
tenacity,  the  whole  system  appears  to  have  been 
silently  abandoned  before  its  formal  revocation  by 
the  constitutional  amendments  made  at  the  society's 
sixteenth  anniversary,  held  January  15th,  1840.] 

The  committee  of  arrangements  for  the  fourth 
anniversary  of  the  society  (November,  1827)  pro- 
posed to  the  Board  that  the  following  resolution 
should  be  submitted  to  the  society  on  that  occasion  : 

Resolved^  That  the  board  of  direction  be  requested  to  appoint 
a  committee  to  confer  with  the  Parent  Society  on  the  subject  of 
supplying  the  destitute  families  in  the  city  and  county  of  New 
York  with  Bibles. 

The  resolution  was  so  offered,  and  adopted,  and 
subscriptions  made  to  the  amount  of  $690  50,  con- 
ditioned upon  the  prosecution  of  the  work  of  city 
supply  by  the  Board. 

To  the  amount  so  subscribed,  $30  were  added 
early  in  the  year  1828,  through  Mrs.  Bethune,  "to- 
wards distributing  the  Word  of  God  among  the 
destitute  in  this  city." 

18  28. 
This  subject  which  had  so  interested  the  Society 
at  its  annual  meeting  was  brought  before  the  new 
Board  at  its  first  meeting,  Nov.  8th,  1827,  under  the 
above  resolution,  and  Messrs.  F.  Bull,  Wm.  Win- 
terton,  Henry  E.  Thomas,  O.  E.  Cobb,  and  Robert 
O.  Dwight  were  appointed  by  the  chairman  the 
committee  of  conference.     It  was  also 


1828.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  23 

Resolved,  That  as.  we  are  now  commencing  the  labours  of  a 
new  year,  and  an  extensive  field  of  operation  appears  to  be  pre- 
senting itself  to  our  view,  it  becomes  us  all  to  be  increasingly 
diligent  in  discharging  the  duties  that  may  devolve  upon  us,  and 
we  hereby  pledge  ourselves  accordingly. 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  Board,  December  6, 
1827,  the  committee  made  the  following  report: 

The  committee,  appointed  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Board,  to 
confer  with  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  New  Yoik  Bible  Soci- 
ety on  the  subject  of  supplying  the  destitute  families  of  the  city 
and  county  of  New  York  with  Bibles,  report :  That  they  have 
had  an  interview  with  a  committee  from  that  Body,  who  after 
hearing  the  communication  from  this  Board,  and  learning  that 
it  was  not  our  object  to  interfere,  but  to  co-operate,  seemed 
highly  gratified,  and  agreed  without  delay  to  confer  with  the 
Managers  of  the  American  Bible  Society  on  some  plan  for  the 
accomplishment  of  this  great  object. 

At  a  recent  interview  with  several  members  of  that  committee, 
we  are  informed  that  they  have  a  plan  prepared  to  submit  to 
their  board  next  Monday  evening,  which,  if  approved,  will  be 
presented  to  the  public  on  Monday  evening,  the  17th  inst.,  at 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  New  York  Bible  Society ;  and  they 
intend  to  make  every  effort  to  facilitate  its  execution. 
Signed,  in  behalf  of  the  committee, 

William  Winterton. 

No  further  reference  to  this  plan,  or  the  subject 
of  it,  is  on  record ;  but  the  plan  actually  adopted 
was  the  dissolution  of  the  old  "  New  Y'ork  Bible 
Society,"  and  the  formation  of  ward  Bible  associa- 
tions, which  in  1828  partially  explored  the  city,  and 
found  952  families  destitute  of  the  Bible ;  collected 
$1,900  09,  and  made  a  donation  to  the  American 
Bible  Society  of  8909  14. 


24  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1828. 

[At  the  end  of  one  year  these  ward  Bible  associa- 
tions were  combined  in,  or  superseded  by  the  "New 
York  City  Bible  Society,"  with  which  the  Female 
B.  S.  was  expected  to  co-operate  in  its  performance 
of  the  local  work.  According  to  the  Report  of 
the  American  Bible  Society  for  that  year,  the  so- 
ciety so  formed  had  a  "president,  vice  president, 
secretary,  treasurer,  and  depositary,  with  a  board 
of  seventy-five  directors."  It  was  recognized  as  an 
auxiliary  by  the  American  Bible  Society  in  April, 
1829,  one  month  after  the  Young  Men's  Bible  So- 
ciety.] 

The  work  which  the  Young  Men's  Bible  Society 
had  sought,  and  for  which  its  friends  had  partially 
provided  the  means,  being  thus  assumed  by  others, 
the  Society  pursued  its  work  of  supplying  the  Scrip- 
tures to  Sabbath  schools  ;  calculating  in  its  annual 
estimate  that  it  would  require  an  increase  in  re- 
ceipts of  about  8400  to  "enable  it  to  meet  the  de- 
mands of  the  New  York  S.  S.  Union"  for  the  year 
(1828). 

At  the  March  meeting  of  the  Board,  it  was 

Resolvedj  That  as  the  object  of  supplying  all  the  destitute 
families  in  the  city  and  county  of  New  York  has  been  under- 
taken, (that  is,  by  the  other  societies,)  a  committee  of  this  Board 
volunteer  to  collect  the  amount  subscribed  for  this  purpose  at 
the  last  annual  meeting  of  this  society,  with  a  view  to  its  being 
paid  over  proportionably  to  destitute  ward  Bible  societies, 

Messrs.  H.  E.  Thomas,  0.  E.  Cobb,  Drummond, 


1828.)  NEW    YORK    DIBLE    SOCIETY.  25 

Edwards,  Winterton,  F.  Bull,  Thornton,  and  Dodge 
volunteered  as  the  above  committee. 

In  January  of  this  year  (1828)  an  application  was 
made  by  the  "S.  S.  Union  of  the  M.  E.  Church"  for 
a  supply  of  Bibles  and  Testaments  for  the  use  of 
their  Sabbath  schools,  accompanied  by  a  notifica- 
tion that  they  cheerfully  consent  to  permit  the 
Board  to  enter  their  schools  for  the  purpose  of  so- 
liciting subscriptions  in  aid  of  the  Bible  Cause. 

This  application  was  referred  to  a  special  com- 
mittee, who  reported  against  it,  on  the  ground  that 
it  was  beyond  the  province  of  the  Society  to  apply 
its  funds  "  to  the  supply  of  any  sectarian  institu- 
tion," and  suggesting  to  our  Methodist  brethren  that 
they  become  auxiliary  to  the  American  Bible  Soci- 
ety, and  thus  obtain  like  facilities  as  the  Society  in 
the  purchase  of  Bibles  and  Testaments  at  cost 
prices.  Some  feeling  evidently  grew  out  of  it;  a 
committee  of  the  Board  being  appointed  in  May  "  to 
take  into  consideration  the  difficulties,"  &c.  Sev- 
eral meetings  passed  without  any  report,  but  at  the 
August  meeting  the  following  communication  was 
received  from  the  American  Bible  Society: 

American  Bible  Society  House,        ) 
New  York,  August  7th,  1828.    ) 

Mr.  G.  a.  Dwigiit,  Cor.  Sec.  Y.  M.  N.  Y.  B.  S.  :— 

Your  communication  of  March  last,  in  relation  to  procuring 
books  of  the  American  Bible  Society  as  an  auxiliary  until  recog- 
nized, was  this  day  laid  before  the  Board.  It  was  determined 
that  the  privilege  requested  by  your  society  should  be  granted. 
It  was  furthermore  resolved,  that  a  donation  of  two  hundred 


26  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1828. 

Bibles  and  five  hundred  Testaments  should  be  made  to  your 
Society,  for  the  specific  purpose  of  supplying  the  Sunday 
schools  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches  in  this 
city. 

It  is  hoped  that  you  will  receive  and  transmit  these  books  to 
those  for  whom  they  are  designed,  and  that  peace,  holiness,  and 
the  salvation  of  many  youth,  will  be  the  happy  result. 

John  C.  Brigham,  Cor.  Sec.  A.  B.  S. 

The  matter  was  again  referred  to  a  committee, 
and  after  a  little  delay  an  order  for  the  books  was 
sent  to  the  Meth.  Epis.  S.  S.  Society,  with  a  polite 
note  stating  that  they  were  a  donation  from  the 
American  Bible  Society,  through  the  Y.  M.  N.  Y. 
B.  S.,  and  the  controversy  was  thus  happily  ended. 

Pleasanter  incidents  closed  the  year.  A  commit- 
tee of  conference,  in  regard  to  co-operation  in  the 
work  of  Sabbath  school  supply,  had  been  appointed 
by  the  Young  Ladies'  Bible  Societj^,  which  was  met 
by  a  similar  committee  of  the  Board,  and  an  ar- 
rangement made  that  the  young  ladies  should  take 
charge  of  the  supply  for  the  girls'  schools,  and  this 
Society  furnish  supplies  for  the  boys. 

A  grant  of  twenty-five  Bibles  and  100  Testaments 
was  made  in  October  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Stanford  "for  a 
Sabbath  school  among  the  prisoners  at  Blackwell's 
Island,"  and  another,  in  November,  of  fifty  Bibles 
to  a  Sabbath  school  in  the  Greenwich  Penitentiary. 
These  grants  mark  the  commencement  of  the 
Society's  efforts  among  the  Humane  and  Criminal 
Institutions  of  the  city. 


1828.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  27 

The  former  of  them  was  acknowledged  in  the 
following  communication  to  the  recording  secretary : 

Mr.  Alfred  Edwards — 

Dear  Sir  : — I  solicit  the  favour  of  your  presenting  my  sincere 
acknowledgments  to  the  managers  of  the  Young  Men's  New 
York  Bible  Society  for  their  unsolicited  and  pious  donation  of 
twenty -five  Bibles  and  one  hundred  Testaments,  for  the  use  of 
the  Sabbath  school  formed  among  the  prisoners  at  Blackwell's 
Island. 

In  my  far  advanced  years,  it  is  a  peculiar  luxury  to  my  heart, 
that  while  there  are  so  many  young  men  in  our  city  who  de- 
vote themselves  to  a  life  of  vanity  and  dissipation,  there  are 
others  whom  the  Lord  has  enriched  with  his  fear,  and  are  asso- 
ciated for  the  most  important  purpose  of  circulating  the  Holy 
Scriptures  among  the  poor  and  Avretched  of  our  community. 
Most  devoutly  do  I  pray  that  the  number  may  be  increased ;  and 
that  the  Divine  Spirit,  who  indited  the  sacred  page,  may  cause 
the  Word  of  Christ  to  dwell  in  each  of  the  young  men's  hearts, 
and  accompany  their  public  efforts  with  holy  benediction,  that 
by  their  means  thousands  of  sinners  may  be  led  into  the  way  of 
salvation,  to  the  glory  of  the  Lord. 
I  am,  respected  sir. 

Yours  in  the  Gospel, 

John  Stanford. 

[At  the  anniversaries  of  1828,  '29,  and  '30,  no 
reference  was  made  to  supplying  the  destitute  fam- 
ilies of  the  city ;  but  increased  diligence  and  en- 
larged liberality  were  urged  in  view  of  the  increase 
of  Sabbath  schools  under  the  care  of  the  N.  Y.  S.  S. 
Union,  and  renewed  efforts  proposed  to  form  and 
foster  "numerous  auxiliaries,"  and  to  induce  young 
men  to  "  address  themselves  to  labours  of  Christian 


28  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1829. 

benevolence."  An  address  to  the  young  men  of  the 
United  States  was  issued  with  this  view  in  1831, 
and  probably  had  much  to  do  with  the  formation 
of  many  of  the  Young  Men's  Bible  vSocieties  that 
originated  about  that  time.  Last,  but  not  least, 
the  necessity  of  "more  humble  and  unceasing  prayer" 
was  often  and  earnestly  suggested.] 


18  2  9. 

The  Society,  having  surrendered  the  supply  of  one 
half  the  Sabbath  schools  to  the  Young  Ladies'  Bible 
Society,  soon  found  itself  in  want  of  employment 
for  its  energies,  and  various  propositions  were  made 
and  discussed  "for  extending  the  sphere  of  its  ope- 
rations ;"  though  at  the  same  time  it  discouraged 
direct  applications  from  city  Sabbath  schools  which 
had  become  disconnected  from  the  N.  Y.  S.  S.  Union, 
through  which  alone,  at  this  period,  it  seemed  dis- 
posed to  act  in  the  home  field.  Such  applications 
were  repeatedly  made,  and  invariably  refused,  un- 
less shown  to  be  peculiar  in  their  claims,  as  being 
for  adults,  &c. 

But  in  spite  of  this  feeling,  the  spirit  of  active 
Christian  life  in  which  the  Society  had  its  birth, 
and  which  formed  its  vital  spring,  while  rejoicing 
in  even  limited  opportunities  of  doing  good,  was 
not  satisfied  with  them,  but  looked  forward  and 
abroad  for  other  openings.  Its  proper  work  came 
slowl}^,  yet  perhaps  nearly  as  fast  as,  amid  the  va- 


1829.) 


NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY. 


29 


rious  hinderances  to  them,  its  strength  and  experi- 
ence grew. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Board  in  January,  1829,  it 
was 

Resolved,  That  we,  deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of  our 
obligations  to  our  constituents,  do  pledge  ourselves,  individually 
and  jointly,  to  use  all  proper  measures  to  further  the  views  of 
the  society,  and  endeavour  to  make  it  an  increasing  and  lasting 
benefit  to  those  around  us;  feeling  and  acknowledging  always 
our  entire  dependence  on  our  Heavenly  Father  for  strength  to 
perform  our  labour,  and  a  blessing  to  crown  it  with  success. 

It  was  also  resolved  to  receive  pledges  from  indi- 
vidual members  of  certain  amounts,  to  be  paid  in 
or  before  October,  in  new  subscribers,  donors,  or 
funds.  The  following  are  the  first  pledges  given 
in  this  manner 


Wm.  Winterton 

.     .  $30 

Walter  M.  Smith 

.     .  $20 

A.  Edwards  .     . 

.     30 

Wilmot  Williams 

.     .     20 

F.  A.  Guion       . 

.     25 

Wm,  Walker      . 

.     20 

C.L.Roberts     . 

.     25 

Norman  White  . 

.     .     20 

J.  S.  Davenport 

.     25 

Duncan  McArthur 

.     20 

P.  R.  Roach  .     . 

.     25 

Edward  Field     . 

.     20 

John  Smalley     . 

.     25 

Jireh  Bull      .     . 

.     20 

0.  E.  Cobb    .     . 

.     25 

J.  P.  Drummond 

.     20 

F.  S.  Winston    . 

.     20 

G.  Buck,  Jr.  .     . 

.     20 

G.  U.  Richards  . 

.     30 

W.  E.  Whiting  . 

.     15 

H.N.  Peck    .     . 

.     20 

N.  St.  John   .     . 

.     15 

H.  E.  Thomas    . 

.     20 

E.  B.  Huntington 

.     15 

F.Bull     .     .     . 

.     20 

Wm.  H.  Byron  . 

,     15 

Wm.  E.  Dodge  . 

.     20 

A.  W.  Corey      . 

.     10 

T.  R.  Green  .     . 

.     20 

J.  G.  Tappan     . 

.     15 

E.  K.  Bussing    . 

.     20 

John  Post       .     .     . 

.     10 

Total     . 


$655 


30  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1830. 

1830. 

The  supply  of  Humane  and  Criminal  Institutions, 
begun  in  1828,  was  continued  in  1829  and  1830,  in 
which  years  grants  were  first  made  to  the  House 
of  Refuge  and  Almshouse. 

At  this  period,  also,  frequent  direct  applications 
for  individual  Sabbath  schools,  and  for  distribution, 
began  to  be  received  from  abroad,  which  in  all  ap- 
parently proper  cases  were  promptly  and  cheerfully 
met,  the  practice  being  followed  more  or  less  down 
to  1843.     (See  Document  F,  Appendix.) 

In  June,  1830,  a  donation  of  1300  was  made  to 
the  American  Bible  Society  in  aid  of  its  under- 
taking to  supply  every  destitute  family  in  the  Union 
with  a  copy  of  the  Bible ;  and  2,000  New  Testa- 
ments were  granted  to  aid  the  American  Sunday 
School  Union  in  supplying  Sabbath  Schools  in  the 
valley  of  the  Mississippi ;  and  at  its  November 
meeting,  the  Board  adopted  a  resolution  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  Society  at  its  anniversary  "  authori- 
zing the  managers  to  extend  the  sphere  of  opera- 
tion of  this  society,  by  supplying  such  Sunday 
schools  with  the  New  Testament  as  have  been,  or 
shall  be,  formed  by  the  American  Sunday  School 
Union  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  or  in  such  other 
States  as  the  Board  may  select." 

The  seventh  anniversary  was  held  at  the  City 
Hotel,  November  22d,  1830  ;  and  the  following  brief 
extract  from  the  annual  report,  then  presented,  is 


1831.)  NEW     YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  31 

all  we  have  been  able  to  obtain.     It  has  the  ring 
of  the  true  Christian  metal : 

We  have  all  marked,  with  equal  delight  and  astonishment, 
how  strongly  the  tide  of  Christian  sympathy  has  set  to\Yard  the 
great  valley  of  the  West,  and  how  unprecedented  the  volume  of 
charity  which  has  poured  into  its  bosom.  The  Board  could  not 
see  the  mighty  flood,  so  like  in  character  to  our  own  little  stream, 
sweep  by,  \vithout  being  partially  drawn  into  its  current.  We 
have  sent  2,000  Testaments  for  Sabbath  schools,  to  be  formed  in 
the  Western  States. 

1831. 

The  influence  of  this  anniversary  seems  to  have 
been  eminently  happy.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the 
new  Board,  3,000  additional  Testaments  were  or- 
dered on  to  St.  Louis  with  despatch ;  and  immedi- 
ately thereafter,  in  Januar}',  1831,  more  systematic 
and  vigorous  plans  were  devised,  both  for  home  and 
V/estern  operations,  as  well  as  in  respect  to  finances 
for  their  support.  It  was  just  at  this  point  that  a 
member  of  the  board  reported  "  a  donation  of  twenty 
dollars,  as  a  thank-ofiering  from  a  father  for  the 
conversion  of  three  of  his  children." 

On  the  7th  of  April,  1831,  a  proposition  was  re- 
ceived from  the  "  Young  Ladies'  New  York  Bible 
Society,"  off'ering  to  undertake  the  entire  supply  of 
the  Sabbath  schools  belonging  to  the  New  York 
Sunday  School  Union  with  Bibles  and  Testaments. 

At  the  May  (5th)  meeting  of  the  Board,  this  pro- 
posal, on  recommendation  of  a  committee,  was 
"  thankfully  accepted,"  and  the  corresponding  secre- 


82  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1831. 

tary  directed  to  notify  the  visiting  committee  of  the 
New  York  Sunday  School  Union  of  the  change. 
This  completed  the  separation  of  the  Society  from 
the  work,  which  had  hitherto  been  regarded  as 
the  peculiar  object  and  first  duty  of  its  organiza- 
tion, and  to  which  it  had  for  the  most  part  been 
practically  compelled  to  confine  itself,  and  seemed 
to  leave  it  nothing  to  do  within  its  proper  local 
bounds. 

Larger  fields,  however,  were  opening,  which 
the  Society  moved  on  steadily,  yet  cautiousl}^,  to 
occupy. 

At  the  same  meeting  the  following  resolution 
was  adopted : 

Resolved,  That;  in  reliance  upon  the  Giver  of  every  good  and 
perfect  gift,  this  society  will  supply  the  schools  under  the  charge 
of  the  American  Sunday  School  Union,  and  all  that  may  be 
formed  by  the  same  in  the  State  of  Missouri,  with  Testaments 
for  the  use  of  Sabbath  schools,  under  the  same  regulations  as 
those  adopted  by  the  Board  in  regard  to  Sabbath  schools  in 
Illinois. 

A  resolution  was  also  passed,  directing  that  all 
applications  from  Sabbath  schools  in  the  city  be 
referred  "to  the  Committee  on  Applications."  The 
door  of  Christian  charity  was  thus  opened  to  those 
denominational  Sabbath  schools  which,  while  the 
Society  was  interlinked  with  the  New  York  Sunday 
School  Union,  it  had  not  seemed  to  favour ;  but 
which,  from  this  time  forward,  have  been  recognized 
as  within  its  proper  province,  and  made,  from  time 
to  time,  recipients  of  its  grants. 


1831.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  33 

At  the  August  (4th)  meeting,  "the  president  stated 
that  he  had  received  a  communication  from  the 
New  York  City  Bible  Society,  requesting  a  commit- 
tee from  our  society  to  confer  with  them  upon  the 
expediency  of  resigning  their  labours  to  our  Society." 
The  committee  appointed  for  this  purpose  reported 
at  the  September  (1st)  meeting.  The  report  was 
accepted,  and  discussed  in  committee  of  the  whole, 
which  discussion  was  resumed  at  a  special  meeting, 
held  September  17,  at  which  Mr.  Henry  E.  Thomas, 
a  former  member  of  the  Board,  who  had  always 
shown  an  interest  in  the  subject  of  city  supply, 
was  invited  to  sit  with  the  Board,  and  to  take  a 
part  in  their  deliberations. 

After  a  prolonged  discussion  of  the  subject,  the 
Board 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  to  make  fur- 
ther inquiries,  and  obtain  additional  information,  in  relation  to 
the  proposition  submitted  to  us  by  the  New  York  City  Bible 
Society. 

Messrs.  Winterton,  Green,  Winston,  Brown,  and 
Cobb  were  appointed  said  committee. 

At  the  regular  meeting  of  the  Board,  held  Octo- 
ber 6th,  1831,  the  committee  made  the  following 
report : 

The  committee,  to  whom  was  referred  the  proposition  of  the 
New  York  City  Bible  Society,  report,  that  they  have  taken  pains 
to  look  into  the  past  operations  of  that  society,  and  feel  convinced 
that  the  only  difficulty  in  the  way  of  the  regular  supply  of  this 
city  with  Bibles  has  been,  the  inactivity  of  the  board  of  that 
institution ;  and,  from  the  character  of  the  individuals  composing 


34  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1831. 

it,  we  know  that  this  inactivity  must  have  proceeded  from  some 
other  cause  than  a  disposition  to  shrink  from  duty.  They  al- 
ready do  so  much  in  other  societies,  that  nothing  is  left  of  their 
energy  or  time  for  this;  there  is  no  prospect,  therefore,  of  the 
work  being  done,  unless  we  assume  it.  Your  committee  have 
also  ascertained  that  about  half  of  the  wards  only  will  require 
the  direct  attention  of  our  Board,  although  it  will  be  proper  to 
keep  a  constant  and  vigilant  eye  to  the  manner  in  which  the 
duty  is  done  in  the  wards  otherwise  provided  for.  But,  in  the 
part  of  the  city  which  will  require  our  active  and  immediate 
exertion,  your  committee  believe  that  the  necessities  are  greater 
than  was  at  first  supposed,  and  will  be  incessantly  recurring,  in 
consequence  of  the  arrival  and  settlement  of  emigrants.  The 
City  Bible  Society's  expenditure,  which  has  been  about  $1,000 
per  annum,  affords  a  very  imperfect  criterion  of  what  we  shall 
need,  because  that  society  has  not  been  thorough  in  its  work. 
Your  committee  have  also  learned  that  we  may  depend  upon  the 
partial  assistance  of  the  tract  distributers,  but  not  on  the  associa- 
tion of  the  "Young  Men's  Society ;"and  would  recommend  that, 
if  the  business  is  undertaken  by  this  Society,  means  be  adopted  to 
distribute  the  Bibles  among  the  poor  by  selling  them,  rather  than 
gratuitously,  as  it  is  notorious  that  numbers  of  copies  received  as 
gifts  are  regarded  only  as  pawns  for  the  dram-shop.  Finally, 
your  committee  are  of  opinion  that  the  Board  can  efficiently  pro- 
vide for  the  constant  supply  of  the  city  population,  if  it  address 
itself  to  the  labour  with  an  humble,  determined,  prayerful,  and 
persevering  spirit;  and  therefore  recommend  the  attempt  only 
upon  the  supposition  that  every  member  of  the  Board  is  prepared 
to  engage  in  it  personally,  especially  those  upon  whom  the  pres- 
ent duties  of  the  Society  fall  most  lightly.  If  this  supposition  is 
well  founded,  your  committee  suggest  the  following  resolution : 
Resolved,  That  this  Society  accede  to  the  proposition  of  the 
New  York  City  Bible  Society,  and  that  every  member  of  the 
Board  of  Managers  is  requested  to  make  it  his  daily  prayer  for 
the  ensuing  month ;    that  we  may  adopt  the  wisest  plan,  and 


Committee. 


1831.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  35 

pursue   it  with  the  purest  motives,  in  discharging  our  new 
duties. 

William  WintertoNj 

Frederick  S.  Winston^ 

John  G.  Brower, 

T.  R.  Green, 

This  report  was  accepted  by  the  Board,  and  the 
subject  of  it  carefully  considered  at  successive  meet- 
ings. It  was  finally  resolved  to  accept  the  proposi- 
tion of  the  New  York  City  Bible  Society,  and  as- 
sume its  responsibilities  in  relation  to  the  supply  of 
the  destitute  families  of  the  city,  whenever  that 
society  should  have  ceased  to  exist,  provided  this 
decision  should  be  sanctioned  by  the  Society  at  its 
eighth  anniversary.  In  the  annual  report  this  new 
opening  was  treated  as  a  marked  Providence  in  the 
history  of  the  Society,  and  as  presenting  an  object 
for  its  labours  lying  within  the  range  of  Christian 
prudence,  which,  it  is  well  added,  "must  always 
lean  one  hand,  at  least,  on  Christian  faith." 

The  Society,  at  its  anniversary,  November  29,1831, 
approved  the  undertaking ;  and,  on  the  9th  of  Jan- 
uary following,  the  New  York  City  Bible  Society, 
after  an  existence  of  three  years,  formally  dissolved, 
the  act  being  communicated  to  the  Board,  on  the 
17th  of  January,  as  follows  : 

Extract  from  the  Minutes  of  the  New  York  City  Bible  Society,  January  9th,  1832. 

Whereas  the  Young  Men's  New  York  Bible  Society  did,  at 
their  last  annual  meeting,  determine  to  assume  the  duties  of  the 
New  York  City  Bible  Society,  whenever  the  latter  should  cease 
to  exist :  Therefore, 


36  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1832. 

Resolved,  That  this  society  be  now  dissolved,  and  that  the  sec- 
retary inform  the  Young  Men's  New  York  Bible  Society  of  the 

same. 

J.  Brouwer, 

Recording  Secretary. 
As  the  surrender  of  the  supply  of  city  Sabbath 
schools  in  May  had  separated  the  Society  from  what 
bad  been  arbitrarily  regarded  as  its  peculiar  work, 
this  step  introduced  it  to  labours  seeming  naturally 
and  properly  to  belong  to  it. 

1832. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  new  Board,  December 
1st,  1831,  preparatory  steps  were  taken  for  the  pros- 
ecution of  the  important  work  resolved  upon.  A 
stamp  bearing  the  name  of  the  society  was  adopted, 
to  be  placed  upon  the  books  it  might  distribute,  and 
thus  in  a  measure  prevent  imposition  or  abuse.  A 
committee  of  nine  was  also  appointed  to  devise  a 
plan  of  operations. 

At  the  regular  meeting,  January  17,  1832,  the 
committee,  having  conferred  with  the  New  York 
City  Tract  Society's  committee,  reported  a  plan,  of 
which  the  following  are  the  essential  features : 

1 .  The  tract  visitors  of  the  New  York  City  Tract  Society  to  be 
furnished  with  blanks,  in  which  to  record  monthly  the  names 
and  residences  of  families  found  destitute  of  the  Bible. 

2.  These  cases  of  destitution  to  be  reported  to  the  ward  com- 
mittee of  the  Board,  the  appointment  of  which  was  also  provided 
for. 

3.  That  some  member  of  the  ward  committee  should  attend 
the  monthly  meetings  of  the  tract  distributers,  and  arrange  for 


1832.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  37 

the  supply  of  the  destitute  either  through  the  tract  distributers 
or  personally.  The  committee  also  to  take  further  measures,  if 
necessary,  to  ascertain  if  every  family  within  the  ward  possessed 
the  Bible. 

4.  In  those  wards  in  which  Bible  societies  existed,  the  destitu- 
tion ascertained  was  to  be  reported  to  them  monthly  by  the  ward 
committee,  and,  if  not  attended  to,  then  to  be  reported  to  the 
Board. 

5.  In  certain  wards  (sixth,  ninth,  fourteenth,  and  fifteenth),  it 
was  made  the  duty  of  the  ward  committee  to  issue  circulars,  and 
distribute  them  to  every  house,  giving  information  where  those 
who  wanted  Bibles  might  obtain  them.  In  these  wards  it  was 
also  made  the  duty  of  the  committees  to  solicit  funds,  to  visit 
personally,  and  distribute  the  Scriptures,  with  power  to  call  in 
necessary  volunteer  aid.  In  some  of  these  wards,  it  is  stated 
that  two-thirds  of  the  destitute  supplied  were  discovered  through 
the  circulars  thus  distributed. 

The  first,  second,  third,  fourth,  fifth,  and  eighth 
wards  had  been  for  several  years  supplied  by  the 
New  York  Female  Bible  Society,  and  at  first  a  de- 
sire was  expressed  by  them  to  continue  the  supply, 
reporting  monthly  to  the  Board  "  the  amount  and 
details  of  their  labours ;"  but  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Board  in  March  (1st),  it  was  informed  that  the  New 
York  Female  Bible  Society  "had  resolved  to  with- 
draw from  the  labour  of  supplying"  those  wards, 
"  and  to  devote  its  funds  to  other  purposes." 

A  committee  was  immediately  appointed,  of  which 
Timothy  R.  Green  was  chairman,  to  arrange  those 
wards  under  the  general  plan  above  described,  which 
was  done ;  and  the  ward  committees  were  directed 
to  explain  to  the  superintendent  of  tract  distribution 


38  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1832. 

in  their  respective  wards  "  the  present  arrangement, 
and  the  causes  of  the  past  apparent  neglect ;  re- 
questing also  that  they  urge  their  distributers  to 
return  monthly  all  existing  cases  of  destitution." 

Further :  The  committee  suggest  to  their  brethren  of  the 
Board  that  too  much  care  cannot  be  taken  in  all  our  intercourse 
with  our  friends  engaged  in  the  tract  distribution  to  manifest 
that  our  object  is  always  to  co-operate,  never  to  interfere  with 
them.  Circumstances  have  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  com- 
mittee, in  the  course  of  their  investigations,  which  show  that, 
without  great  prudence  on  our  part,  our  motives  may  be  miscon- 
strued, and  therefore  not  appreciated. 

With  special  reference  to  the  necessary  provisions 
for  these  new  Western  and  home  fields  of  labour, 
vigorous  financial  movements  were  also  made. 
The  report  of  the  committee  appointed  on  this  sub- 
ject, which  was  "accepted  and  adopted"  at  the 
March  meeting  of  the  Board,  recommended : 

That  as  many  churches  as  might  be  deemed  expedient  or 
practicable  be  represented  in  the  Board,  and  that  to  each  church 
so  represented,  and  to  such  other  churches  as  the  Board  may 
think  proper,  a  church  committee  of  at  least  one  member  should 
be  appointed  to  raise  funds,  by  enrolling  the  young  men  as  mem- 
bers, and  if  possible,  by  forming,  with  the  previous  consent  and 
concurrence  of  the  pastor,  associations  which  vrould  regularly 
raise  contributions  for  the  Bible  Cause,  and  present  them  to  or 
through  the  Society.  Also,  that  in  those  wards  wholly  depend- 
ent upon  the  Board,  the  ward  committees  should,  if  practicable, 
''hold  frequent  meetings  of  the  friends  of  the  Bible  in  their  re- 
spective wards,  and  thereby  raise  as  much  money  as  can  be  pru- 
dently solicited."  Finally,  the  committee  suggested  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  committee  "  to  prepare,  and  cause  to  be  inserted 


1832.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  39 

in  all  the  religious  papers  of  the  city,  such  notices  of  tlie  Society 
and  its  operations  as  might  appear  calculated  to  interest  the 
Christian  public  in  its  behalf." 

In  the  midst  of  these  measures  for  meeting  their 
new  responsibilities,  the  Board  received  an  appli- 
cation  from  the  N.  Y.  S.  S.  Union  for  3,000  Bibles,  for 
the  use  of  the  Sabbath  schools  under  their  care. 
After  consideration  at  a  special  meeting,  it  was  con- 
eluded,  that  the  Board  having  undertaken  duties,  the 
extent  of  which  it  could  not  yet  distinctly  appre- 
ciate, was  "not  prepared  to  make"  the  donation; 
and  a  direct  application  to  the  American  Bible  So- 
ciety by  the  N.  Y.  S.  S.  Union  was  suggested. 

In  the  course  of  this  summer  (1832)  the  cholera 
came  among  us,  and  in  view  of  the  solemn  visitation 
it  was 

Resolved,  That  God  having  raised  the  rod  of  his  chastisement 
over  the  field  of  our  operations,  we  will,  as  members  of  this 
Board,  endeavour,  in  discharging  our  duties,  to  feel  that  it  be- 
comes us  to  do  with  our  might  what  our  hands  find  to  do ;  as 
those  we  would  benefit,  and  we  who  seek  their  good,  may,  at  an 
hour  when  we  least  expect,  be  called  to  our  eternal  destinies ; 
and  should  we  be  scattered  by  the  terror  of  the  prevailing  pesti- 
lence, we  will,  one  and  all,  remember  the  objects  of  our  Society 
in  daily  prayer. 

The  distribution  to  destitute  families  during  this 
first  and  calamitous  year  was  small,  and  was 
effected  entirely  through  individual  members  of  the 
Board,  ward  committees,  and  to  some  extent  by  the 
clergy  of  the  city  churches,  who  now  began  to  be 
supplied  with  Bibles  for  distribution.    The  grants  to 


40  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1832. 

Humane  and  Criminal  Institutions  were  increased 
slightly  over  those  of  the  previous  year  ;  and  a  grant 
of  one  Bible  and  forty  Testaments  w^as  made  to  the 
convalescing  patients  of  a  cholera  hospital,  on  ap- 
plication of  a  physician. 

The  labours  of  the  Society  among  the  military 
posts  in  the  harbour  of  New  York  had  been  com- 
menced in  October,  1831,  by  the  supply  of  125  New 
Testaments  to  a  company  of  U.  S»  soldiers  about  to 
leave  for  Virginia  and  other  parts  of  the  United 
States ;  in  which  case  "  the  application  came  from 
the  soldiers,  who  were  anxious  to  obtain  the  Word 
of  God  to  carry  with  them." 

The  work  in  this  department  increased  consid- 
erably, in  1832,  in  connection  with  the  efforts  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Burnett,  Chaplain  at  Governor's  Island. 
At  the  ninth  anniversary  of  the  society,  held  No- 
vember 29th,  1832,  the  supply  of  military  posts  in 
New  York  Harbour  was  formally  added  to  the 
standing  duties  of  the  society.     It  was  also 

Resolved^  That  it  be  considered  a  prominent  duty  by  every 
member  of  this  society,  to  make  mention  of  its  interests  in  his 
daily  prayers,  while  he  does  what  he  can  to  promote  its  welfare, 
and  extend  its  influence. 

An  amendment  to  the  7th  (8th  original)  article 
of  the  constitution  was  adopted  at  this  time,  by 
which  the  number  of  managers  was  increased  to 
forty,  and  divided  into  two  equal  classes,  so  that  the 
terms  of  one  half  of  the  number  should  expire  an- 


1833.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  41 

nually,  but  leave  them  re-eligible.    Other  unimport- 
ant changes  were  also  made. 


1833. 

At  the  close  of  the  anniversary  meeting  of  1832, 
Mr.  Oliver  E.  Cobb  was  elected  President,  and  ful- 
filled the  duties  of  his  office  at  the  regular  meetings 
of  the  Board  in  December,  January,  and  February ; 
was  absent  on  account  of  sickness  from  the  two  fol- 
lowing meetings,  and  was  buried  on  Sunday,  April 
28th,  1833.  The  Board  held  a  special  meeting  to 
attend  his  funeral,  and  adopted  resolutions  express- 
ive of  their  sense  of  the  loss  sustained  by  his  fam- 
ily and  the  Societ}'. 

Mr.  Cobb  is  the  only  officer  of  the  Society  who 
has  died  while  an  actual  incumbent.  He  was  one 
of  the  original  members  of  the  Board,  dying  in  the 
tenth  year  of  a  faithful  and  devoted  service.  It 
cannot  be  amiss  to  insert  here  a  brief  notice  of  his 
character  from  the  tenth  annual  report : 

He  was  an  active,  enterprising,  useful,  and  amiable  member 
of  society.  To  talents  of  no  mean  order  he  united  a  goodness  of 
heart,  a  gentleness  of  manner,  and  a  simplicity  of  Christian 
character,  which  made  him  the  beloved  of  many,  and  the  friend 
of  all To  the  cause  of  his  Redeemer,  he  was  an  invalu- 
able servant,  and  bright  is  the  example  which  he  has  left  for 
our  imitation ;  he  hath  passed  from  among  us  without  reproach, 
having  performed  the  work  which  his  Master  gave  him  to  do ; 
and  leaving  a  name  consecrated  by  the  virtues  of  a  life  devoted 
to  God. 

A  new  certificate  of  honorary  membership,  en- 


42  HISTORY    CF   THE  (1833. 

graved  by  Mr.  Samuel  Styles,  after  a  design  painted 
by  Weir,  was  adopted  at  the  opening  of  this  year 
(1833),  and  the  original  design  was  presented  by 
the  Board  to  Mr.  Joseph  H.  Colton,  with  thanks  for 
his  services  on  the  committee  to  obtain  the  cer- 
tificate. 

In  February,  the  Purchasing  Committee  were  au- 
thorized to  furnish  the  clergymen  of  the  city  with 
such  Bibles  and  Testaments  as  might  be  necessary 
to  supply  the  destitute  found  by  them  in  their  visits 
among  the  people  of  their  respective  charges,  re- 
questing them  to  report  the  cases  of  destitution  and 
supply  to  the  chairman  of  that  committee. 

At  the  regular  meeting  in  May  (2d),  the  following 
resolution,  previously  offered  by  Mr.  Timothy  R. 
Green,  was  adopted : 

Resolved,  That  it  be  the  duty  of  the  several  ward  committees 
(except  the  12th)  to  attend  personally  to  supplying  with  the 
Word  of  God  such  families  as  they  may  ascertain  to  be  destitute, 
from  the  reports  of  the  tract  distributers  or  otherwise. 

This  subject  was  repeatedly  brought  up  in  the 
course  of  this  year,  in  a  manner  indicating  the  con- 
viction of  the  Board  that  all  was  not  done  that 
ought  to  be  done,  although  the  distribution  in  this 
department  nearly  quadrupled  within  the  year ; 
and  at  the  regular  meeting,  in  November  (7th),  "  a 
resolution  with  reference  to  supplying  the  destitute 
families  of  the  city  m.ore  efficiently"  was  off'ered, 
and  referred  to  a  special  committee,  consisting  of 
Messrs.  M'Arthur,  Mason,  and  Winslow. 


1833.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  43 

In  September,  th-e  Board  by  resolution  undertook 
to  supply  all  U.  S.  Government  vessels  on  their 
leaving  this  port,  and  for  the  first  time  appointed 
a  committee  on  Naval  Stations ;  and  a  committee 
was  also  directed  "  to  inquire  into  the  expediency 
of  supplying  the  packet-ships  to  Havre,  London, 
and  Liverpool." 

Early  in  the  year  a  special  committee  had  been 
appointed  to  report  the  draft  of  a  constitution  for 
auxiliary  societies.  The  committee  several  times 
reported  progress,  but  made  no  final  report  until 
after  the  anniversary. 

The  most  important  measure  of  this  year,  how^- 
ever,  was  the  determination  to  attempt  to  raise 
8 10,000,  in  aid  of  the  effort  of  the  American  Bible  So- 
ciety to  give  the  Bible  to  all  the  accessible  population 
of  the  globe,  witThin  the  shortest  practicable  period. 

Three  evenings.  May  2d,  3d,  and  4th,  were  spent 
in  the  consideration  of  this  great  subject,  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Plumer,  of  Virginia,  being  present  with  the 
Board,  and  addressing  them  at  length. 

After  still  further  discussion  at  subsequent  meet- 
ings, and  on  ascertaining  the  views  of  the  Parent 
Society,  and  its  willingness  to  yield  the  entire  local 
field  to  this  society  for  collections,  until  the  project 
of  raising  such  sum  should  be  carried  out,  the  Board 
at  its  October  meeting  reconsidered  its  former  reso- 
lutions, by  which  the  amount  had  been  specifically 
designated  for  expenditure  by  Mr.  Gutzlaff  in  China, 
and  unanimously 


44  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1834. 

Resolved,  That  we  will  endeavour  to  raise  the  sum  of  $10,000 
during  the  current  year  of  the  Parent  Society,  which,  or  such 
part  thereof  as  we  shall  he  ahle  to  ohtain,  shall  he  appropriated 
through  the  American  Bible  Society,  as  so  much  of  their  pledge 
of  $30,000  for  foreign  distribution. 

The  Parent  Society  had  previously  resolved  to 
make  their  appropriation  of  $3,000  for  China  from 
the  amount  to  be  raised  by  this  Society. 

The  committee  sought,  and  obtained  the  aid  of 
Rev.  Dr.  Proudfit,  of  Salem,  N.  Y.,  in  soliciting  con- 
tributions. The  venerable  man,  in  his  letter  of  ac- 
ceptance to  the  committee,  says : 

Permit  me,  therefore,  respectfully  to  recommend  that  your 
committee  occasionally  meet  on  purpose  to  implore  His  blessing 
on  this  your  honourable  design ;  then  the  execution  will  be  easy, 
and  the  result  happy  and  glorious.  The  copies  of  Divine  Truth, 
thrown  into  circulation  by  this  contribution,  will  add  other  gems 
to  your  Master's  crown,  and  your  own  crown,  through  eternal 
ages. 

The  w^ork  thus  undertaken  in  faith  and  prayer 
was  accomplished  in  season,  the  pledge  redeemed, 
**and  the  amount  paid  in  cash."  Suitable  acknowl- 
edgments of  the  services  rendered  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Proudfit  were  made,  at  a  special  meeting  held  for 
the  purpose,  in  January,  1834. 

183  4. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  new  Board,  December 
12th,  1833,  the  special  committee  appointed  in  No- 
vember, "with  reference  to  supplying  the  destitute 
families  of  the  city  more  efficiently,"  reported  a  plan 


1834.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  45 

for  this  purpose,  which,  after  being  discussed  until 
a  late  hour,  was  laid  over,  together  with  a  propo- 
sition to  condense  the  standing  committees,  to  an 
adjourned  meeting  to  be  held  December  13th,  at 
which  time  the  latter  was  definitely  laid  on  the 
table,  and  the  usual  standing  committees  were  ap- 
pointed. The  former,  which  is  not  on  record,  was 
also,  after  some  further  discussion,  laid  on  the  table ; 
and  the  different  ward  committees  were  instructed 
"to  take  immediate  measures  to  ascertain  and  sup- 
ply the  destitution  throughout  the  city,  and  report 
the  result  in  March." 

At  this  meeting  measures  were  taken  for  defining 
the  proper  duties  of  the  various  standing  commit- 
tees. 

A  special  committee  was  also  appointed  to  inquire 
and  report  in  reference  to  supplying  the  emigrants 
arriving  at  this  port  with  the  Bible,  and  to  devise 
a  plan  of  operations.  The  committee  reported  at 
an  adjourned  meeting  in  March  (13th),  and  the  dis- 
cussion of  their  report  was  continued  at  the  regular 
meeting  in  April  (4th).  The  resolutions  reported 
by  them  were  adopted.  They  expressed  the  high 
sense  of  the  importance  of  this  work  to  the  future 
civil  and  religious  interests  of  the  country;  and 
determined,  in  reliance  on  the  Divine  blessing,  to 
supply  every  emigrant  family  landing  at  this  port 
"  with  a  copy  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures  in  their  own 
language." 

For  this  purpose  a  "  Standing  Committee  on  Emi- 


46  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1834. 

grants"  was  now  first  appointed,  and  it  was  resolved 
to  employ  an  agent  to  labour  in  this  department  un- 
der the  direction  of  the  committee.  This  committee 
was  also  directed  to  confer  with  the  Parent  Society 
and  with  the  Marine  Bible  Society  as  to  any  co- 
operation to  be  expected  from  them.  In  June  (5th) 
the  committee  reported  the  appointment  of  Mr. 
C.  C.  Andrews  as  their  Agent,  and  subsequently,  at 
the  regular  meetings  of  the  Board,  gave  interesting 
accounts  of  his  labours.  The  expense  of  this  de- 
partment was  estimated  by  the  committee,  on  the 
basis  of  36,000  arrivals  yearly,  at  82,500  per  annum. 

The  agent  was  instructed  to  distribute  the  Scrip- 
tures among  the  families  arriving,  and  to  secure  the 
co-operation  of  owners  and  captains.  This,  in  gen- 
eral, seems  to  have  been  readily  effected;  and,  in 
addition  to  his  personal  distribution,  the  agent  placed 
Bibles  on  board  the  ships  for  the  use  of  passengers 
on  the  return  voyage.  In  connection  with  this 
work,  a  part  of  an  office.  No.  20  Wall  Street,  wais 
rented  for  thirty-one  dollars  per  annum. 

Beginning  in  1833,  and  continuing  through  1834, 
the  work  of  the  Society,  particularly  in  connection 
with  the  naval  and  emigrant  committees,  came 
more  and  more  into  contact  with  the  work  of  the 
Marine  Bible  Society,  calling  frequently  for  those 
committees  of  conference,  which  finally,  in  1S39, 
resulted  in  the  entire  assumption  of  its  duties. 

In  the  course  of  this  year  (1834)  a  majority  of 
the  wards  were  reported  by  their  respective  commit- 


1835.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  47 

^es  as  for  the  most  part  well  supplied  with  Bibles. 
One  of  them  (the  eighth)  had  employed  an  agent ; 
which  measure,  after  discussion,  was  approved.  In 
the  annual  report,  the  work  of  city  distribution  is 
characterized  as  "  a  self-denying  duty,"  "  though  not 
unfrequently  enlivened  by  incidents  of  great  inter- 
est." At  the  eleventh  anniversary,  December  10th, 
1834,  the  work  of  supplying  emigrant  fam.ilies  was 
made  one  of  the  regular  operations  of  the  society, 

1835. 

At  the  opening  meeting  for  this  year,  held  as 
usual  in  December  (25th)  of  the  year  preceding,  the 
wish  of  the  Parent  Board  to  devolve  upon  this  Soci- 
ety the  entire  public  collection  of  funds  in  this  city 
for  the  Bible  Cause  was  communicated  to  the  Board. 

It  was,  after  due  consideration,  unanimously 

Resolved^  That  this  Board  will  assume  for  the  current  year  the 
public  collection  of  all  moneys  in  the  city  for  the  Bible  Cause. 

A  standing  committee  of  seven  was  immediately 
appointed  as  a  "committee  of  ways  and  means," 
with  directions  to  communicate  to  the  Parent  Board 
the  action  of  this  Society  in  the  matter. 

The  auxiliary  committee  was  requested  to  inquire 
into  the  condition  of  the  ward  auxiliaries,  and  also 
other  ward  Bible  societies  not  auxiliary,  and  report 
at  the  next  meeting.  They  reported  in  March  (5th), 
but  nothing  special  appears  except  a  resolution 
requesting  the  ward  committees  to  see  that  the  des- 
titute are  supplied  in  two  wards  (seventh  and  thir- 


48  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1835. 

teenth),  where  auxiliaries  had  existed,  which  it  may 
be  inferred  had  suspended. 

In  February  (5th)  the  Committee  of  Ways  and 
Means  reported  having  engaged  the  services  of  Mr. 
H.  D.  Ward  as  an  agent  of  the  society,  and  other 
measures  adopted  by  them,  w^hich  were  approved. 
The  resignation  of  Mr.  Andrews  as  agent  was  re- 
ceived and  accepted  at  this  meeting,  he  being  about 
to  remove  to  the  West. 

In  April  Mr.  Ward  was  placed  under  the  direc- 
tion of  "the  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means  and 
Emigrant  Committee  ;"  and  in  July,  on  account  of 
ill  health,  he  employed  Mr.  Jacobson  to  act  in  his 
stead  among  emigrants. 

In  May  (7th)  an  interesting  letter  from  the  Rev. 
Charles  GutzlafF,  of  China,  in  reply  to  a  communi- 
cation addressed  to  him,  by  order  of  the  Board,  by 
the  corresponding  secretary,  was  read,  gratefully 
acknowledging  the  contribution  of  funds  by  this  so- 
ciety for  the  new  edition  of  the  Chinese  Scriptures, 
which,  in  co-operation  with  Mr.  Bridgman,  he  was 
employed  in  preparing. 

In  this  year  a  proposition  was  made  to  distrib- 
ute the  Scriptures  among  emigrants  in  portions, 
in  the  form  of  tracts,  but,  under  the  judicious  action 
of  the  Parent  Board,  it  was  abandoned. 

Various  propositions  were  also  made  by  persons 
disconnected  with  the  Board  to  employ  the  agent 
among  emigrants  in  the  incidental  distribution  of 
temperance  tracts,  and  "cards"  notifying  them  of 


1836.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  49 

time  and  place  of  worship,  which  the  Board  refused 
to  sanction. 

In  relation  to  the  supply  of  city  destitution,  the 
usual  resolution  was  adopted  at  the  January  (8th) 
meeting,  referring  it  to  the  ward  committees  for 
prompt  attention  and  accomplishment.  In  Septem- 
ber (3d)  it  was  resolved  to  supply  all  children  under 
fifteen  years  of  age,  who  could  read,  with  the  New 
Testament,  and  the  ward  committees  were  instructed 
"  to  see  that  it  is  thoroughly  and  promptly  done ;" 
and  further,  in  November,  the  chairmen  of  the  sev- 
eral ward  committees  were  directed  to  keep  a  sup- 
ply of  Bibles  on  hand,  and  inform  "the  tract  w^ard 
agents"  where  they  may  be  obtained,  and  furnish 
them,  when  requested,  at  their  several  residences. 

At  the  close  of  this  year,  Mr.  Walter  M.  Smith, 
who  had  been  eleven  years  treasurer,  retired  from 
that  office  and  from  the  Board,  having  become  in- 
eligible by  age,  the  limit  being  thirty-five.  Reso- 
lutions of  thanks  for  long  and  faithful  services  were 
adopted,  and  a  pleasant  "token  of  esteem  and  re- 
gard" presented  to  him. 

1836. 

At  the  opening  of  this  year  the  plan  for  supplying 
the  poor  children  of  the  city  gratuitously  with  the 
New  Testament  was*  again  brought  before  the 
Board,  and  referred  to  the  ward  committees  with 
detailed  instructions  for  effecting  it,  accompanied 
by  the  annual  resolution  in  reference  to  supplying 
families. 

4 


50  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1836. 

j^  the  same  time  the  committee  of  ways  and 
means  was  requested  to  consider  if  any,  and  what 
change  is  necessary  in  the  present  mode  of  distrib- 
uting the  Bible,  and  to  report  at  the  next  meeting 
of  the  Board,  which  they  did,  but  recommended  no 
change.  At  a  subsequent  stage  of  the  meeting,  a 
special  committee  on  the  same  subject  was  raised, 
consisting  of  Messrs.  Edwards,  Green,  and  Warriner. 
In  April  the  committee  reported  resolutions,  which 
were  at  once  adopted,  "that  the  present  mode  of 
distribution  through  the  tract  agents  of  the  different, 
wards  be  continued  as  far  as  is  practicable ;  and  in 
any  of  the  wards  where  there  are  no  tract  agents,  it 
be  done,  as  formerly,  by  the  members  of  the  Board  ;" 
and  farther  directing  that  a  supply  of  Bibles  be 
kept  at  an  appointed  central  place  in  each  ward, 
under  charge  of  some  member  of  the  ward  commit- 
tee, whose  duty  it  was  made  "  to  see  that  the  tract 
agents  are  always  supplied,"  and  report  monthly  to 
the  Board. 

Bible  distribution  to  Hotels  was  first  suggested  at 
the  February  (4th)  meeting  of  the  Board  by  Mr. 
George  T.  Fox,  who  proposed  "  supplying  each  bed- 
room of  the  principal  hotels  of  this  city  with  a  copy 
of  the  Scriptures,"  beginning  "  with  the  Astor  Hotel 
if  practicable; "  which  was  afiterward  accomplished. 

In  March  (3d)  an  application  was  received,  in 
behalf  of  the  New  York  Sunday  School  Union,  for 
"100  Bibles  for  premiums,"  in  consequence  of  the  be- 
lief that  the  Young  Ladies'  Bible  Society  had  dis- 


1837-39.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  51* 

solved.  It  was  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Appli- 
cations with  power.  This  committee  reported,  in 
April,  that  the  Young  Ladies'  Bible  Society  had 
united  with  the  New  York  Female  Bible  Society, 
and  that  the  latter  had  placed  $300  worth  of  Bibles 
at  the  disposal  of  the  New  York  Sunday  School 
Union. 

In  March  (3d)  Mr.  Luther  P.  Hubbard  was  ap- 
pointed Agent  of  the  society  under  direction  of  the 
Emigrant  Committee,  in  connection  with  the  Ma- 
rine Bible  Society,  each  society  furnishing  half  the 
amount  of  his  salary. 

The  interest  of  the  year's  work  lay  in  the  reports 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Burnett,  of  labours  at  the  navy  yard 
and  naval  stations ;  the  operations  of  Rev.  John 
Rudy  among  the  German  population  of  the  city; 
and  of  Mr.  L.  P.  Hubbard  among  emigrants.  An 
interesting  report  was  also  presented  by  Messrs. 
Rand  and  G.  T.  Fox  of  their  personal  visitation  in 
the  sixth  ward. 

1837—1839. 

During  these  three  years,  but  little  if  any  change 
occurred,  except  by  simple  enlargement,  in  any  of 
the  home  operations  of  the  society.  The  various  com- 
mittees performed  the  duties  indicated  by  their  ti- 
tles, or  specially  imposed  upon  them.  The  Emigrant 
Committee,  through  its  agent,  Mr.  Hubbard,  did  much 
marine  work,  but  always  in  harmony  with  the  Ma- 
rine Bible  Society.     The  Rev.  Mr.  Rudy  continued 


52  HISTORY   OF   THE  (1837-39. 

to  distribute  the  Scriptures  among  the  resident 
German  population  until  1839,  and  was  a  valued 
labourer  in  that  field. 

The  supply  of  destitute  families  in  the  city  con- 
tinued to  be  chiefly  made  through  the  tract  mission- 
aries and  distributers,  under  the  supervision  of  the 
ward  committees.  In  August  (3d),  1837,  the  subject 
of  this  Society  aiding  in  the  support  of  the  tract 
missionaries  was  mentioned  in  the  Board,  and  laid 
over  for  a  future  time. 

In  the  spring  of  1839  (April  6th)  the  chairmen 
of  the  several  ward  committees  were  requested  to 
report  what  arrangements  had  been  made  for  the 
annual  examination  and  supply  of  the  different 
wards ;  and  in  October  the  Board,  in  view  of  the 
large  amount  of  their  debt  to  the  Parent  Society,  re- 
solved to  suspend  their  usual  distributions,  "  except 
among  destitute  families  in  the  city,"  until  that  debt 
should  be  paid,  unless  under  special  directions  from 
the  Board. 

Some  important  changes  in  the  general  system 
of  the  society's  efforts  also  occurred  during  this 
period. 

1st.  At  the  first  organization  of  the  society,  the  sup- 
ply of  Sabbath  schools  with  Bibles  and  Testaments 
as  premiums,  through  the  New  York  Sunday  School 
Union,  was  assigned  to  it,  and  long  regarded  as  its 
sole  work.  But  in  July,  1838,  it  was,  on  an  appli- 
cation from  the  New  York  Sunday  School  Union, 
declared  inexpedient  to  grant  Bibles  to  that  society 


1837-39.)   *      NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  53 

for  use  as  premiums;  and  although  in  May,  1839, 
it  was  reported  to  the  Board  that  the  New  York 
Female  Bible  Society  had  declined  occupying  any 
part  of  the  Sabbath  school  field,  the  decision  of  1838 
was  adhered  to  in  acting  upon  an  application  in 
June  (6th)  of  that  year. 

2d.  The  supply  of  the  Western  States  with  New 
Testaments  for  Sabbath  schools  was  formally  un- 
dertaken in  1830-31,  throtigh  the  American  Sunday 
School  Union,  and,  though  a  thousand  miles  dis- 
tant, constituted  at  that  time  the  only  extensive  and 
important  field  of  the  Society's  operations.  It  ex- 
tended in  1837  to  the  States  of  Illinois,  Missouri, 
Indiana,  Michigan,  and  the  Wisconsin  Territory,  to 
which  grants  were  made  at  various  times,  forming 
an  aggregate  of  14,000  New  Testaments.  In  1839 
this  extra-territorial  work  had  been  silently  but  en- 
tirely abandoned. 

3d.  The  formation  of  auxiliaries,  which  had  often 
been  looked  to  as  one  of  the  most  important  of  the 
Society's  modes  of  action,  though  results  did  not 
justify  this,  was  also  given  up ;  the  article  relating 
to  them  being  omitted  from  the  constitution,  and  the 
standing  committee  on  auxiliaries  discontinued. 

4th.  The  name  of  the  Society  was  changed  by 
striking  out  the  prefix,  "  Young  Men's,"  in  the  first 
article  of  the  constitution. 

5th.  The  second  article  of  the  constitution  was 
amended  so  as  to  declare  the  sole  object  of  the  So- 
ciety to  be  "the  distribution  of  the  Sacred  Scrip- 


54  HISTORY    OF    THE  *  (1837-39. 

tures  without  note  or  comment,"  instead  of  "to 
engage  the  co-operation  of  young  persons"  in  such 
distribution. 

In  February  (8th),  1839,  the  Committee  of  Ways 
and  Means  (Mr.  A.  R.  Walsh,  Chairman)  were  em- 
powered to  appoint  the  church  committees,  and 
receive  their  reports,  which  appointments  have  from 
that  time  devolved  upon  this  committee  as  one  of 
its  regular  duties. 

That  committee  also  submitted  a  resolution,  which 
was  adopted,  as  follows  : 

Resolved,  That  the  Parent  Society  be  requested  to  recognize 
us  as  its  representative  for  the  public  collection  of  its  funds  in 
this  city,  and  also  to  acknowledge  as  coming  through  us  any 
contributions  from  this  city,  which  may  be  paid  direct  to  their 
Treasurer. 

Upon  this  subject  a  committee  of  conference  was 
appointed  (Messrs.  A.  R.  Walsh,  Fox,  and  Edwards), 
and  the  result  is  embodied  in  the  following  resolu- 
tion reported  by  them  at  the  May  (2d)  meeting  and 
adopted : 

Resolved,  That  this  Board  will  cheerfully  continue  the  annual 
collection  of  funds  for  the  Bible  Cause  in  the  churches  of  this 
city,  as  intrusted  to  them  by  the  resolution  of  the  Parent  Society 
of  A]3ril  4th  :  and  that  they  will  faithfully  improve  every  oppor- 
tunity, with  which  God  in  his  providence  may  favour  them,  to  pro- 
mote the  Cause  of  the  Bible,  and  make  its  saving  truth  univer- 
sally known. 

A.  Robertson  Walsh, 

Chairman. 

The  importance  of  this  subject  was  also  urged  in 
the  annual  report  of  that  year,  and  its  bearings  upon 


1840-44.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  55^ 

the  interests  of  the  Society,  and  on  the  general  Bible 
Cause  in  this  city,  were  discussed.  A  supplement- 
ary notice  was  also  appended  to  the  Annual  Re- 
port, referring  to  the  difficulties  which  had  arisen 
in  the  collection  of  funds  "  from  the  several  appli- 
cations made  to  the  Christian  public  by  the  socie- 
ties occupying  the  various  departments  of  this  one 
great  cause ;"  and  the  Report  of  1840  announced 
"  this  Society  as  occupying  the  entire  field  ;  and  be- 
ing, with  the  exception  of  the  Female  Bible  Society, 
the  only  collecting  and  distributing  auxiliary  of  the 
American  Bible  Society  in  the  city  of  New  York." 

1840  —  1844. 

Propositions  had  been  made  and  negotiations  en- 
tered into  for  an  arrangement  by  which  the  Marine 
Bible  Society,  which  had  laboured  in  its  peculiarly 
interesting  department  for  nearly  twenty-three 
years,  should  surrender  its  field  of  labour  to  this 
society.  At  the  opening  of  the  year  1840,  those 
negotiations  were  closed,  as  implied  in  the  supple- 
mentary notice  mentioned  above,  and  the  Society 
assumed  the  duties  and  half  the  debt  of  the  Ma- 
rine Bible  Society,  the  amount  thus  assumed  being 
$823  39  ;  the  Parent  Society  agreeing  to  cancel  the 
other  half,  and  the  Marine  Bible  Society  stipulating 
to  pay  over  to  the  New  York  Bible  Society  all 
funds  which  might  be  received  by  them. 

[The  work  thus  assumed  was  conducted  under  the 
charge  of  the  appropriate  committee  of  our  Board, 


56  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1840-44. 

with  associates  from  the  Marine  Bible  Society  until 
the  close  of  1849,  when  the  appointment  of  asso- 
ciates ceased ;  since  which  the  Marine  Bible  So- 
ciety has  had  only  a  formal  existence.] 

"  Seamen"  being  thus  added  to  our  list  of  objects, 
received  much  attention,  and  repaid,  in  the  special 
interest  connected  with  their  supply,  the  labour  it 
involved,  the  men  often  seeming  eager  and  grateful 
for  the  Word  of  God. 

The  Marine  work  was  re-organized  at  the  open- 
ing of  this  year,  and  the  shipping,  coasters,  &c., 
divided  into  districts,  which  were  severally  placed 
under  charge  of  individual  members  of  the  com- 
mittee, and  the  monthly  details  of  their  personal 
visitation  of  them,  as  laid  before  the  Board,  furnish- 
ed matter  of  great  interest  to  the  Christian  heart. 

During  these  five  years,  no  other  striking  change 
was  made  in  the  action  of  the  Society,  or  in  the  ob- 
jects to  which  its  attention  was  directed.  Certain 
small  items  of  distribution  to  fire  companies,  &c., 
were  thrown  under  the  new  head  of  "  Sundries"  in 
its  reports,  and  a  proposition  was  made  to  ascertain 
the  practicability  and  propriety  of  supplying  mili- 
tary companies.  The  supply  of  hotels  was  some- 
what enlarged.  Provision  was  made  for  supplying 
the  poor  blind  on  leaving  the  asylum.  The  Com- 
mittee on  Naval  Stations  visited  and  supplied  for- 
eign vessels  of  war  entering  our  harbour. 

In  April  (2d),  1840,  the  death  of  Timothy  R.  Green, 
long  an  active  member  of  the  Board,  and  but  recently 


1840-44.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  57 

President  of  the  Society,  was  reported,  and  the  fol- 
lowing resolution,  with  others,  was  adopted  : 

Resolvedj  That  his  kind  and  courteous  demeanour,  his  can- 
dour, his  manly  freedom  from  sectarian  prejudice,  his  brotherly 
kindness  to  all  who  bore  the  name  of  his  Master,  his  cool,  dis- 
criminating judgment,  his  persevering  devotion  to  the  cause  of 
our  common  faith,  and  the  unbroken  consistency  of  his  Christian 
walk  and  conversation,  while  they  made  him  eminently  useful 
and  beloved  in  life,  have  rendered  his  memory  sacred  and  dear  to 
the  members  of  this  Board. 

Early  in  1840,  applications  for  Bibles  from  the 
New  York  Sunday  School  Union  brought  up  the 
question  of  re-opening  relations  with  that  society, 
which  had  been  postponed  in  April,  1836,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  donation  of  $300  worth  of  Bibles  to 
that  Union  by  the  Female  Bible  Society. 

The  committee  on  applications,  to  whom  the  sub- 
ject was  referred,  presented  the  following  resolu- 
tions at  the  meeting  of  June  4th,  1840  : 

Resolved,  That  our  society  being  the  only  local  society  con- 
nected with  the  American  Bible  Society,  and  the  schools  being 
supplied  from  no  other  source,  it  is  our  duty  to  grant  supplies 
of  Bibles  and  Testaments  for  the  use  of  Sunday  schools  in  this 
city. 

Resolved,  That  it  is  desirable  to  furnish  the  schools  through 
the  Union  or  Society  with  which  they  are  connected,  and  that 
those  schools  not  so  connected  be  furnished  by  a  committee  of 
this  Board. 

Resolved,  That  it  is  not  expedient  to  grant  supplies  of  Bibles 
and  Testaments  for  premiums  and  rewards. 

At  the  regular  meeting  of  the  Board,  February  4th, 
1841,  the  last  resolution  was  reconsidered.      The 


58  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1840-44. 

Rev.  Mr.  Campfield  addressed  the  Board  upon  the 
subject,  and  the  following  resolution  was  adopted 
by  a  vote  of  seventeen  to  sixteen  : 

Resolved.  That  the  corresponding  secretary  be  requested  to 
inform  the  secretary  of  the  New  York  Sunday  School  Union  that 
this  society  are  now  prepared  to  furnish  them  with  such  Bibles 
and  Testaments  as  they  may  require  for  rewards. 

Grants  were  made  accordingly. 

In  June  (2d),  1842,  reports  of  Bibles  being  put  to 
improper  uses  came  before  the  Board,  and  a  commit- 
tee of  inquiry  was  appointed.  The  committee  re- 
ported July  7th,  and  were  requested  to  make  further 
inquiries.  The  subject  occupied  the  attention  of 
the  board  at  three  consecutive  meetings  ;  and  from 
statements  made  in  September  (1st),  it  appeared 
that  something  more  than  $500  worth  of  premium 
Bibles  and  Testaments  had  been  granted  within  two 
years,  besides  common  Bibles  and  Testaments  to 
about  an  equal  amount.  The  question  lay  over 
from  September  to  January  5th,  1843,  when  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions  were' adopted : 

Resolved^  That  for  the  future  we  discontinue  the  supply  of 
premium  Bibles  and  Testaments. 

Resolved^  That  while  we  concur  in  the  passage  of  the  above 
resolution,  we  entertain  no  hostility  to  the  interests  of  the  New 
York  Sunday  School  Union,  nor  wish  to  express  any  opinion  ad- 
verse to  the  propriety  of  giving  premiums  by  that  institution  :  but 
simply  express  the  opinion  of  this  Board,  that  the  distribution  of 
Bibles  and  Testaments  for  premiums  to  any  Sunday  school  in- 
volves a  principle  at  variance  with  the  general  object  for  which 
the  society  was  organized;  viz.,  the  supplying  of  the  destitute 
with  the  Sacred  Scriptures. 


1840-41.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  59 

Resolved^  That  the  corresponding  secretary  be  requested  to 
communicate  the  above  resolutions  to  the  New  York  Sunday 
School  Union, 

At  the  February  (2d)  meeting  of  the  Board,  1843, 
an  application,  comprising  premium  and  other  Bi- 
bles and  Testaments,  was  presented  from  the  New 
York  Sunday  School  Union,  which  was  granted  so 
far  as  consistent  with  the  resolution  adopted  in  Jan- 
uary. A  committee  of  gentlemen  also  appeared  in 
behalf  of  the  New  York  Sunday  School  Union,  and 
requested  a  committee  of  conference,  which  was 
appointed,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Van  Rensselaer, 
Edwards,  and  Blatchford.  At  the  April  meeting, 
the  committee  reported  that  they  had  fully  discussed 
the  subject  in  conference  ;  and  recommended  that 
the  Board  adhere  to  its  resolution  of  January  5th, 
which  recommendation,  "after  a  long  and  able  dis- 
cussion," was  adopted.  In  June,  1844,  a  grant  of 
750  Bibles  of  the  ordinary  st3-le  was  made  to  the 
Sunday  School  Union,  and  grants  of  similar  Bibles 
and  Testaments  have  been  made  annually  since  for 
the  use  of  Sabbath  schools,  to  the  New  York  and 
other  S.  S.  Unions  or  Boards.  They  sometimes 
reach  the  extent  of  5,000  volumes  in  a  j-ear,  but  no 
detailed  or  specific  reports  are  made  to  the  Board 
of  the  mode  in  which  these  grants  are  disposed  of. 

In  August,  1841,  the  subject  of  making  grants 
of  Bibles  and  Testaments  in  various  parts  of  the 
country  was  presented,  and  the  Board  resolved  to 
discontinue  them.     In  May,  1842,  it  was  proposed 


60  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1840-44. 

to  rescind  this  resolution ;  but  the  question  being 
laid  over  until  June,  and  the  views  of  the  Secretary 
of  the  Parent  Society  having  been  ascertained,  the 
decision  was  adhered  to,  although  not  carried  out 
strictly  till  near  the  close  of  1843. 

The  system  of  direct  grants  to  Sabbath  schools 
outside  of  the  city,  thus  discontinued,  had  existed 
almost  from  the  first,  and  was  entirely  independent 
of  those  large  consignments  of  New  Testaments 
for  the  supply  of  the  Western  States  which  had 
been  made  through  the  American  Sunday  School 
Union  from  1831  to  1839.  Under  it  grants  had  at 
various  times  been  made  to  Sabbath  schools  in  the 
counties  of  Albany,  Alleghan}^,  Chautauque,  Dutch- 
ess, Erie,  Greene,  Kings,  Onondaga,  Putnam,  Rock- 
land, Schoharie,  Suffolk,  Sullivan,  Ulster,  Wayne, 
Westchester,  and  others ;  in  the  States  of  Illinois, 
Ohio,  Iowa,  New  Jersey,  and  Pennsylvania ;  in 
North  Carolina  and  Rhode  Island,  Mississippi  and 
Connecticut,  Michigan,  and  the  Territories  of  Ar- 
kansas and  Florida ;  in  Lower  Canada  and  Ber- 
muda, and  "  an  island  in  the  St,  Lawrence."  (See 
Document  F,  Appendix.) 

In  1841  (March  and  June)  an  arrangement  was 
made  with  the  Brooklyn  Bible  Society,  by  which 
they  assumed  the  supply  of  the  navy  yard,  while 
this  society  retained  the  duty  of  supplying  National 
vessels  lying  there,  or  leaving  the  harbour. 

In  the  finances  some  difficulties  were  met,  and 
finally  overcome.     A  resolution  to  raise  $4,000  as  a 


1840-44.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  61 

donation  to  the  Parent  Society  was  adopted  in  Jan- 
uary (7th),  1841.  This  was  accomplished,  but  left 
the  society  nearly  12,000  in  debt.  Early  in  1842 
this  subject  was  urged  upon  the  attention  of  the 
Board,  and  members  requested  to  exert  themselves 
to  obtain  new  subscribers,  and  in  the  collection  of 
funds,  exercising  "  careful  economy  in  distribution." 
The  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Parent  Society 
addressed  the  board  upon  the  subject  in  March  (2d), 
1843  ;  and  in  May  of  that  year  the  Ptev.  Mr.  (now 
Bishop)  Janes  submitted  the  following  resolution 
from  the  Parent  Board,  for  the  regulation  of  the 
financial  relations  of  this  Society  with  them : 

Resolved^  That  the  following  plan  for  effecting  collections  in 
this  city  be  recommended  to  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  New 
York  Bible  Society,  viz. :  That  the  Parent  Society  make  applica- 
tions to  individuals  for  donations,  in  sums  of  thirty  dollars  and 
upwards,  on  their  own  account  exclusively ;  that  the  New  York 
Bible  Society  make  its  public  collections  as  usual,  and  applica- 
tions for  individual  donations  in  sums  less  than  thirty  dollars  • 
and  that  they  be  at  liberty  to  ask  the  services  of  either  of  the 
Secretaries  of  this  Board  in  presenting  the  Cause  to  the  churches. 
In  case  any  donation  is  received  by  this  Board,  under  this  arrange- 
ment, of  a  less  sum  than  thirty  dollars,  the  same  shall  be  cred- 
ited to  the  New  York  Bible  Society  in  its  account  with  the  Parent 
Society ;  provided,  it  be  understood  that  any  subscriber  be  at  lib- 
erty to  designate  to  which  society  his  donation  shall  be  paid. 

After  a  full  discussion  of  the  above  resolution,  it 
was,  on  motion. 

Resolved^  That  the  words,  '-in  sums  less  than  thirty  dollars," 
be  stricken  out ;  and  that  the  resolution  thus  amended  be  com- 
municated to  the  Parent  Board. 


62  HISTORY    OF   THE  (1840-44. 

About  this  time,  a  cordial  invitation  was  given 
to  the  Secretaries  of  the  Parent  Society  to  be  pres- 
ent at  the  meetings  of  the  board.  A  similar  in- 
vitation was  extended  "  to  om-  co-labourers,  the  tract 
missionaries."  An  invitation  also  was  received  in 
November  (2d),  1843,  from  the  Philadelphia  Bible 
Society,  inviting  the  members  of  this  Board  to  sit  as 
corresponding  members  at  their  meetings  when  con- 
venient ;  which  was  cordially  reciprocated  by  a 
corresponding  invitation  to  members  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Board. 

The  following  resolution,  presented  by  Mr.  Dodge 
July  2d,  1840,  and  laid  over  from  time  to  time,  was 
taken  up  January  7th,  1841  : 

Resolved^  That  in  tlie  future  distribution  of  the  Bible  in  the 
wards,  the  tract  distributers  be  requested  to  make  their  applica- 
tions for  Bibles  to  the  chairman  through  the  tract  agent ;  and 
that  the  committee  attend  in  person  to  its  delivery,  keeping  a 
record  of  the  name  and  residence  of  those  supplied. 

After  much  discussion  it  was  laid  on  the  table ; 
and,  on  motion, 

Resolved,  That  the  several  ward  committees  be  directed  to 
ascertain,  and  report  at  the  regular  meeting  in  July  next,  that 
every  destitute  family  in  their  wards  has  been  supplied  with  a 
Bible. 

In  January  (4th),  1844,  Messrs.  Sharpe,  Walsh, 
and  Blatchford  were  appointed  a  committee  to 
"  consider  the  propriety  of  appointing  one  or  more 
colporteurs  to  be  employed  in  this  city,  in  the  distri- 
bution of  the  Sacred  Scriptures."     It  was  also 


1840-44.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  63 

Resolved,  That  the  ward  committees  adopt  such  measures  as 
shall  enable  them  to  make  a  final  report  of  full  supply  of  the 
wards  at  the  meeting  in  May  next. 

The  committee  on  colporteurs  reported,  in  Feb- 
ruary (1st),  resolutions  approving  of  "  the  system 
of  colportage  in  the  distribution  of  the  Bible,"  and 
for  the  appointment  of  a  committee  with  authority 
to  select,  and  employ  for  six  months,  a  suitable  per- 
son for  the  work.  After  prolonged  discussion  the 
subject  was  laid  over  to  the  March  (7th)  meeting, 
and  then  deferred  until  April  (4th),  when  it  Avas 
further  discussed,  and  again  laid  over.  At  the  May 
(2d)  meeting,  after  full  discussion,  the  resolutions, 
with  an  unimportant  amendment,  were  adopted. 

In  June  (6th)  a  committee  of  three  (Messrs.  Buck, 
Blatchford,  and  Sharpe)  w^as  appointed,  "author- 
ized to  employ  Conrad  Rilling  until  the  first  day 
of  November  next,  to  distribute  the  Bible  chiefly 
among  the  resident  and  emigrant  population  speak- 
ing either  the  German  or  the  French  language." 
It  was  also  resolved  that  the  work  should  be  prose- 
cuted by  him  "  without  reference  to  any  sectarian 
views;"  also  that  he  be  designated  as  "the  Distrib- 
uting Agent."  Reports  of  his  operations  were 
presented  from  month  to  month  to  the  Board  by 
the  Committee.  In  November  (7th)  he  was  re-ap- 
pointed for  six  months,  and  with  but  slight  change 
in  the  sphere  of  his  labours,  by  being  limited  to 
emigrants  on  arrival,  has  continued  until  now  a 
faithful  and  devoted  labourer  in  this  field. 


64  HISTORY    OF   THE  (1845-49. 

1845—1849. 

At  the  anniversary  in  1844,  some  remarks  were 
made  by  a  speaker,  to  which  exception  seems  to 
have  been  publicly  taken ;  for  at  the  first  meeting 
of  the  board  thereafter  (December  5th,  1844),  resolu- 
tions were  unanimously  adopted,  and  ordered  to  be 
published,  disavowing  responsibility  for  the  individ- 
ual opinions  of  speakers  or  members ;  affirming 
strongly  the  singleness  of  the  Society's  object  as  de- 
clared in  the  second  article  of  the  constitution ;  re- 
gretting "the  occasion,  or  supposed  occasion,"  of 
offence ;  and  expressing  earnestly  the  hope  "  that 
nothing  may  ever  occur  to  interrupt  that  love  and 
harmony  which  ought  to  be  found,  if  anywhere 
upon  earth,  among  those  who  are  associated  for  the 
distribution  of  God's  Holy  Word." 

At  the  opening  of  the  year  1845,  a  correspondence 
occurred  between  the  Episcopal  Church  Committee 
and  various  clergymen  of  that  communion,  which 
gave  promise  of  good  to  the  interests  of  the  society. 

In  March,  1846,  the  propriety  of  seeking  to  obtain 
collections  in  Unitarian  churches  was  suggested  as 
an  inquiry,  and  laid  over  until  the  April  meeting, 
when  it  was  "  indefinitely  postponed." 

At  a  special  meeting  held  February  19th,  1846, 
Mr.  Blatchford,  from  a  committee  previously  ap- 
pointed, presented  a  remonstrance  to  the  Legislature 
of  this  State  against  granting  a  charter  to  the  Bap- 
tist Bible  Society  under  the  title  of  "American  and 


1845-49.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  65 

Foreign  Bible  Society,"  which  was  read  and  adopted 
as  the  remonstrance  of  this  Board,  and  the  president 
was  charged  with  the  duty  of  transmitting  it  to  the 
Legislature. 

In  the  course  of  this  year  some  thirty  of  the  city 
hotels  were  supplied  with  Bibles  for  their  public 
and  private  parlours,  and  for  their  lodging  rooms,  the 
distribution  reaching  to  2,237  volumes.  Volunteers 
for  the  army  in  California  and  Mexico  also  received 
supplies. 

In  1847  an  application  was  received  from  the  N.  Y. 
S.  S.  Union  "  for  a  grant  of  Bibles  to  be  distributed 
as  premiums,"  which  was  respectfully  declined,  as 
being  violative  of  the  fundamental  object  of  the 
society, — "the  supply  of  the  destitute  with  the 
Scriptures." 

Although  in  1845  the  Marine  and  Emigrant  Com- 
mittee continued  united  in  name,  the  work  of  sup- 
plying emigrants  was  chiefly  done  by  Mr.  Rilling, 
under  the  direction  of  a  "Committee  on  Special 
Distribution,"  and  the  results  were  separately  re- 
ported at  the  anniversar}^ 

In  1846  the  latter  committee  became  the  "Emi- 
grant Committee,"  Mr.  Rilling  continuing  its  Dis- 
tributing Agent ;  while  Mr.  Hubbard  laboured  un- 
der the  direction  of  the  Marine  Committee. 

March  4th,  1847,  "The  Emigrant  and  Agency 
Committee  were  empowered  to  employ  Mr.  Henry 
Goubelman  as  distributer  among  the  German  and 
French  population  of  the  upper  part  of  the  city." 


66  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1845-49. 

Mr.  Goubelman  has  been  re-appointed  from  time  to 
time,  being  transferred,  in  December,  1852,  from  the 
Emigrant  Committee  to  that  for  the  supply  of  the 
destitute  resident  population,  and  still  continues  to 
labour  promiscuously  among  the  French  and  Ger- 
man population. 

In  June  (7th),  1848,  in  view  of  the  increasing  im- 
migration from  Ireland,  the  Emigrant  Committee 
was  "  authorized  and  requested  to  employ  a  suita- 
ble agent  to  labour  among  the  Irish  emigrants." 
To  this  duty  Mr.  Stephen  Smyth  was  appointed, 
and  has  been  continued  by  re-appointment  in  the 
same  field  to  the  present  time. 

In  February  (3d)  of  this  year,  the  supply  of  the 
Seaman's  Retreat,  Staten  Island,  was  made  a  part 
of  the  duty  of  the  Marine  Committee. 

In  August,  184G,  a  communication  was  received 
from  Rev.  Dr.  Brigham,  Secretary  of  the  Parent  So- 
ciety, "  asking  a  committee  of  conference  in  adjust- 
ing some  plan  respecting  the  retail  distribution  from 
the  depository."  Messrs.  A.  R.  Walsh  and  G.  H. 
Williams  were  appointed  as  the  committee ;  and  at 
the  meeting  in  September  (3d)  the  following  pre- 
amble and  resolution  were  reported  by  that  com- 
mittee, and  adopted  by  the  Board : 

That  in  view  of  the  increase  of  the  sale  of  Bibles  in  the  De- 
pository of  the  American  Bible  Society,  thereby  making  a  large 
inroad  upon  the  time  of  its  Agents,  and  as  according  to  the  pol- 
icy of  the  Parent  Institution,  as  applied  to  other  parts  of  our 
country,  this  is  peculiarly  the  work  of  its  auxiliaries;  therefore. 


1845-49.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  67 

Resolved,  That  we  accede  to  the  proposition  of  the  Ameri- 
can Bible  Society  communicated  this  evening;  and  that  we  will, 
from  and  after  the  first  of  November  next,  assume  the  duty  of 
conducting  the  sales  of  Bibles,  and  the  distribution  of  Bibles,  to 
life  members  and  directors  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  at  an 
office  in  the  Bible  House  to  be  provided  by  the  Parent  Institution, 
under  the  supervision  of  the  Purchasing  Committee. 

The  subject  of  supplying  the  destitute  resident 
population  commanded  much  attention  and  labour 
throughout  this  period. 

At  the  meeting  held  January  2d,  1845,  Messrs. 
A.  R.  Walsh,  Dr.  Post,  and  E.  H.  Blatchford  were 
appointed  a  special  committee  "  to  prepare  printed 
instructions  for  Bible  distributers,  and  also  a  blank 
form  for  the  monthly  returns  of  the  tract  missiona- 
ries." The  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means  also 
reported  the  issue  of  a  circular  to  the  churches  giv- 
ing a  condensed  account  of  our  operations.  Which 
of  these  documents  gave  offence  is  not  expressly 
stated,  but  at  the  March  meeting  explanations  were 
asked  by  a  committee  from  the  tract  missionaries, 
who  had  been  led  to  regard  "the  circular"  "in  the 
light  of  a  censure  upon  their  proceedings,"  which 
was  declared  to  be  "  entirely  foreign  to  the  design 
of  this  Board." 

At  the  January  and  March  meetings  in  1846,  the 
importance  of  this  department  of  the  society's  work 
was  urged,  and  the  limited  amount  of  distribution 
remarked  upon,  and  on  motion  of  Mr.  Walsh  a  com- 
mittee was  appointed  "  to  inquire  if  any,  and  what 
improvements  can  be  made  in  the  present  system." 


68  HISTOEY    OF   THE  (1845-49. 

In  April  (2d)  the  committee  reported  a  resolution 
to  appoint  a  committee  of  three  to  take  charge  of 
the  "special  distribution  and  sale  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures  throughout  our  city,"  "with  power  to 
employ  a  suitable  agent."  The  resolution  was 
adopted,  and  Messrs.  A.  R.  Walsh,  Titus,  and  Con- 
over  appointed  as  such  committee.  The  committee 
failed  to  find  a  suitable  agent  until  in  November 
(30th),  when  they  reported  that  the  services  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Wolcott,  one  of  the  Agents  of  the  Parent 
Society,  had  been  engaged  for  this  work. 

At  the  meeting  in  January  (7th),  1847,  an  inter- 
esting report  of  the  labours  of  Mr.  Wolcott  in  the 
visitation  of  the  tenth  ward  was  submitted,  and  the 
general  arrangements  of  the  committee  for  the  work 
were  stated  and  approved. 

Statements  were  made  from  month  to  month  of 
the  progress  of  the  work,  until  at  the  meeting  in 
September  (2d)  it  w^as  reported  as  completed  with 
the  following  results : 

Number  of  families  •vii^ited    -     -     -     -    18,724 

"  "       found  destitute  -     -      3,045  =  16 1-4 percent. 

"  "       supplied  -     -     1,808 

"  "       who  refused-     1,135  = 

Amount  received  for  sales $223  24 

Cost  of  gratuitous  distribution  -     -     -     -     $515  88 

Total  number  of  volumes  distributed 2,574 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  new  Board,  in  Decem- 
ber (7th),  1848,  a  resolution  was  submitted  by  Mr. 
Blatchford,  that  "  in  view  of  the  responsibility  we 


1845-49.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  69 

have  assumed,  it  is  expedient  to  re-explore  this 
city  through  agents  to  be  specially  employed  for 
that  purpose,"  which  was  referred  to  a  committee, 
consisting  of  Messrs.  Blatchford,  H.  K.  Bull,  Kings- 
ley,  Davis,  and  Underhill. 

The  committee  reported  at  the  next  meeting  (Jan- 
uary 4th,  1849),  recommending  the  re-exploration 
of  a  single  ward  by  the  present  agents  of  the  Board, 
as  a  test  of  the  necessity  and  warrant  for  full  re- 
exploration.  The  recommendation  was  adopted, 
and  referred  to  the  same  committee  for  execution. 

At  the  February  (1st)  meeting  of  the  Board,  the 
committee  reported  that  they  had  selected  the 
tenth  ward  for  re- exploration,  and  that  of  2,987 
families  visited  by  the  agents,  200,  or  about  seven 
per  cent.,  were  found  entirely  destitute  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. The  following  resolution  was  submitted  by 
thern,  and  adopted : 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed,  with  power  to  se- 
lect and  employ  a  suitable  person  or  persons  to  act  as  distribu- 
ting agents  for  the  society,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  thoroughly  to 
explore  the  city,  in  the  course  of  a  year,  and  as  far  as  possible, 
to  keep  it  supplied  with  the  Scriptures,  under  the  supervision  of 
an  appropriate  committee. 

In  the  month  of  March,  the  committee,  which 
had  been  continued  in  the  charge  of  this  work, 
employed  Alexander  Watson  as  Distributing  Agent, 
who,  with  the  exception  of  a  recess  of  six  months 
in  1853-54,  has  continued  until  now  to  labour  un- 


"70  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1850-57. 

der  the  direction  of  the  "Committee  on  the  Sup- 
ply of  the  Destitute  Resident  Population." 

In  the  summer  of  1849,  also,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hed- 
strom  began  his  valued  gratuitous  labours  among 
the  Norwegian  and  Danish  immigrants,  which  are 
still  continued. 

1850—1857. 

From  1850  onward  to  the  present  time,  no  new 
department  has  been  added  to  the  labours  of  this 
society,  nor  any  new  principles  of  action  been  ap- 
plied. All  changes  have  been  mere  matters  of 
detail  or  of  progress. 

In  January  of  the  former  year,  L.  P.  Hubbard 
was  re-engaged  to  labour  exclusively  in  the  marine 
work,  chiefly  among  seamen.  William  Irving  was 
employed  as  clerk  in  the  depository,  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Potter  as  an  additional  agent  to  labour  among  the 
destitute  resident  population,  which  office  he  re- 
signed at  the  end  of  ten  months,  having  accepted  a 
call  to  preach  in  the  West.  In  May,  Mr.  Hubbard 
was  compelled  by  sickness  to  give  up  his  field  of 
labour,  and  shortly  after  resigned  his  connection  with 
the  Society.  In  June,  Mr.  John  S.  Pierson  was  ap- 
pointed Marine  Agent,  which  position  he  still  holds, 
and  Mr.  Horace  Hunt  was  appointed  General  Agent, 
with  charge  of  the  depository.  In  the  same  month, 
the  President,  E.  H.  Blatchford,  Esq.,  tendered  his 
resignation  on  account  of  failing  health  ;  but,  upon 
the  unanimous  request  of  the  Board,  it  was  not 
pressed. 


1850-57.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  71 

In  the  report  of  this  year,  the  distribution  by 
ward  committees  and  city  clergy  was  included  in 
the  statistics  of  the  supply  of  destitute  resident 
population.     (See  Document  E,  Appendix.) 

In  June,  1851,  the  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means 
was  instructed  to  confer  with  the  Parent  Society 
on  a  new  "  plan  of  collections  in  this  city  in  aid  of 
the  Bible  Cause."  The  conference  resulted  in  the 
appointment  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Tuttle  as  a  collecting 
agent  for  this  city,  which  arrangement  subsisted  but 
for  a  short  time,  when  the  Society  fell  back  upon 
the  system  previously  pursued  from  its  origin ;  de- 
pending, in  the  matter  of  finances,  upon  receipts 
from  annual  and  life  members  and  donors,  collec- 
tions in  churches,  and  sales  of  books,  with  such 
legacies  as  Christian  love  may  commit  to  it  for 
disbursement.     (See  Document  D,  Appendix.) 

In  March,  1853,  it  was  ascertained  and  reported 
from  a  committee  of  the  Board,  by  Mr.  W.  Allen 
Butler,  that  "the  amount  contributed  to  the  gen- 
eral Bible  Cause  by  the  city  of  New  York,  in  1852, 
was  $30,358  70;  of  which  $10,246  71,  exclusive  of 
donations,  came  through  the  New  York  Bible  Soci- 
ety." The  financial  relations  of  the  Society  with 
the  Parent  Board,  and  to  the  Christian  public,  have 
been  for  more  than  twenty  years  matters  of  serious 
consideration,  and  sometimes  of  concern,  in  the 
Board,  without  as  yet  reaching  a  satisfactory  ad- 
justment. 

In  the  course  of  1852,  the  hotels  of  the  city,  which 


72 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


(1850-57. 


during  the  previous  ten  years  had  been  supplied  with 
Bibles,  for  parlours  and  lodging  rooms,  to  the  number 
of  6,243,  were  revisited,  and  not  more  than  one  or  two 
cases  of  abuse  of  the  Bible  were  found. 

In  1852,  the  Committee  on  Supply  of  Destitute  Resi- 
dent Population  reported  the  exploration  and  supply 
of  the  city  completed,  with  the  following  results  : 


1 

1st. 

1 
> 

s 

11 

-o-S 
111 

§T3(/2 

503 

0)  o 
3h 

■S  ji 

Distribution  gratis 

Distribution 
by  sale. 

>> 

JQ 

si 

Sis 

o  «" 

^3 
> 

Is 

11 
fid 

3 

si 

2 
2 

li 

(5" 

2S 

ill 

to  -  .2 

v^  c 

i 
s 

ad 
§ 

s 

1,838 

27t 

317 

159 

8 

109 

20 

25 

321 

18  81 

$52  691 

2&4 

3,715 

951 

25^ 

463 

220 

13 

91 

43 

9 

376 

12  04 

73  36 

3d. 

1,249 

144 

12 

74 

85 

16 

81 

39 

10 

231 

12  17 

36  11^ 

5th. 

3,835 

462 

12 

172 

247 

17 

179 

98 

67 

608 

35  911 

97  27^ 

6th. 

3,725 

1,17S 

3Ii 

411 

385 

21 

237 

75 

22 

740 

20  81i 

143  061 

7th. 

4,235 

698 

16^ 

334 

133 

80 

277 

117 

105 

712 

46  m 

80  13 

8th. 

5,833 

57S 

10 

171 

193 

22 

58 

211 

28 

512 

58  693 

76  79t 

9th. 

6,465 

483 

n 

122 

200 

222 

248 

442 

412 

1,524 

167  75| 

146  81J 

*10th. 

2,987 

200 

65 

5f! 

150 

24 

92 

266 

11  83 

48  02 

nth. 

7,920 

1,225 

15.V 

292 

562 

63 

446 

275 

425 

1,771 

122  253 

285  05i 

12th. 

1,472 

295 

20 

100 

89 

69 

151 

99 

86 

494 

32  OOi 

61  56 

13th. 

4,217 

609 

14i 

191 

239 

41 

244 

100 

78 

702 

39  25 

123  26 

14th. 

4,220 

672 

16 

196 

220 

99 

149 

147 

155 

770 

64  49i 

111  14^ 

15th. 

3,038 

173 

5,^ 

51 

82 

147 

84 

98 

67 

478 

40  971 

71  06f 

16th. 

10,942 

1,526 

14 

454 

460 

258 

499 

668 

663 

2,548 

282  92 

284  03^ 

17th. 

7,195 

1,040 

Ui 

296 

485 

186 

360 

216 

336 

1,583 

106  29 

274  11 

18th. 

6,371 

1,036 

16i 

306 

332 

271 

464 

276 

224 

1,567 

113  29 

207  08^ 

19th. 

3,751 

854 

m 

182 

316 

98 

420 

178 

199 

1,211 

78  83i 

177  41^ 

Total 

83,008 

12,621 

tl5i 

4,182 

4,557 

1,631 

4,097 

3,126 

3,003 

16,414 

1,254  77a 

2,349  OOi 

*  Incomplete.       f  Average  percentage. 


1850-57.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  73 

The  statements  of  this  table  are  the  results  of  a 
thorough  exploration  of  the  whole  city,  from  the 
Battery  to  Kingsbridge,  made  by  the  agents  of  the 
Society,  carrying  the  Bible  from  house  to  house,  and 
from  family  to  family,  through  all  classes  of  the 
community;  the  Scriptures  being  furnished  to  fami- 
lies, to  domestics,  to  young  persons  in  workshops, 
and  to  children,  as  widely  and  freely  as  in  the 
judgment  of  those  agents  it  could  be  wisely  done. 

In  the  year  1834,  the  destitutions  of  the  city 
were  reported  as  thoroughly  supplied  by  a  distri- 
bution of  1,499  volumes  ;  in  1847  (see  page  68),  with 
2,574  volumes,  1,808  of  which  were  furnished  to 
destitute  families;  in  the  above,  from  1849  to  1852, 
by  a  distribution  of  16,414  volumes,  of  which  4,557 
were  furnished  to  destitute  families. 

At  the  close  of  this  year,  Mr.  Goubelman  was 
transferred  from  the  Emigrant  Committee  to  the 
Committee  on  Supply  of  the  Destitute  Resident 
Population. 

In  November,  1854,  the  revisitation  of  about  one- 
third  of  the  city  had  been  effected,  and  a  compari- 
son of  the  results  with  those  ascertained  in  the 
same  wards,  as  reported  in  1852,  showed  an  increase 
of  destitution  of  the  Bible  of  less  than  one  per  cent., 
with  rather  more  than  a  corresponding  increase  in 
the  families  supplied  ;  a  decrease  of  fifteen  and  one- 
third  per  cent,  in  the  refusals  of  the  Bible  ;  and  an 
increase  of  4,114  volumes  in  the  total  distribution. 
Unhappily,  it  also  showed  that  a  large  influx  of 


74  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1850-57. 

such  families  had  occurred  as  were  unable  to  read  ; 
and  who,  therefore,  were  left  unsupplied. 

In  March,  1853,  Mr.  Hunt  resigned  his  position 
as  General  Agent.  In  April,  when  his  resignation 
took  effect,  Mr.  J.  B.  M'Comb  was  appointed  in  his 
stead.  At  this  time  the  Parent  Society  was  about 
removing  from  Nassau  Street  to  the  new  Bible 
House,  Astor  Place  ;  and  at  the  March  meeting  of 
the  Board,  it  was 

Resolved,  That  it  is  expedient  that  arrangements  be  made 
with  the  American  Bible  Society  for  the  continuance  of  the  de- 
pository under  charge  of  this  Society,  and  for  suitable  rooms  for 
the  sale  of  Bibles  in  their  new  Bible  House.     Also, 

Resolved,  That  it  be  referred  to  the  Purchasing  Committee  to 
carry  out  their  arrangements  with  the  Parent  Society,  with 
power. 

In  April,  the  committee  reported  that  they  had 
consummated  the  arrangements  with  the  American 
Bible  Society  for  the  depository  in  the  new  build- 
ing, and  that  they  were  authorized  by  said  society 
to  fit  up  the  room  assigned  to  them  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Mr.  Hyde,  and  that  the  present  depository 
arrangements,  originally  made  in  1847,  should  be 
continued.  The  depository  was  placed  under  charge 
of  the  General  Agent,  Mr.  M'Comb. 

In  May  (5th),  a  letter  was  read  to  the  Board, 
from  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  American 
Bible  Society,  "respecting  the  sale  of  Bibles  in  the 
city  of  New  York,"  and  asking  a  committee  of  con- 
ference to  meet  a  similar  committee  of  the  Parent 


1850-57.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  75 

Board.  The  committee  was  appointed  (Messrs. 
Underbill,  Smith,  Kingsley,  and  Ide)  ;  and,  at  the 
meeting  in  June,  reported  a  remonstrance  to  the 
Parent  Board,  against  the  action  of  that  body  in 
changing  the  consummated  arrangement  in  refer- 
ence to  the  depository.  This  was  adopted  by  the 
Board,  and  the  committee  directed  further  to  confer 
with  any  committee  that  Board  might  appoint.  At 
the  same  meeting,  a  communication  was  received 
from  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Parent 
Society  "in  reference  to  a  room  for  the  sale  of 
Bibles  by  this  Society."  At  the  regular  meetings  in 
July,  August,  and  October,  this  question  occupied 
the  Board,  the  original  resolutions,  on  the  subject 
of  the  depository,  adopted  September  3,  1846,  being 
read  in  August,  and  in  October  a  reply  from  the 
Board  of  the  Parent  Society  to  the  remonstrance 
adopted  in  June,  in  which  the  Parent  Board  ad- 
hered to  its  decision  to  retain  the  room  for  retail 
sales  under  its  own  control,  but  expressed  a  will- 
ingness to  afford  this  Society  "  every  reasonable 
facility"  for  making  similar  sales. 

A  special  meeting  was  held  October  28, 1853,  with 
reference  to  this  matter.  The  President  opened 
the  meeting  by  reading  the  eleventh  chapter  of 
Isaiah,  and  remarked  that,  in  consideration  of  the 
important  bearing  which  the  action  of  this  meet- 
ing might  have  upon  the  interests  of  the  Society, 
it  had  been  thought  proper  to  engage  in  prayer 
before   proceeding   to   business.      Whereupon,  the 


76  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1850-57. 

board  united  in  prayer  with  Mr.  De  Forest ;  when 
the  following  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted : 

Resolved^  That  this  Board  deem  it  inexpedient  to  establish 
a  depository  for  the  retail  sale  of  books,  while  the  same  field  is 
occupied  by  the  Parent  Board. 

The  second  resolution,  after  a  very  calm  and  pro- 
tracted discussion,  during  which  it  was  again  read, 
together  with  the  report,  was  unanimously  adopted; 
viz. : 

Resolved^  That  we  respectfully  submit  to  the  American  Bible 
Society  the  propriety  of  its  assuming  the  entire  charge  of  the 
Bible  Cause  within  the  city  and  county  of  New  York. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board,  held  November  18th, 
a  communication  from  the  Board  of  the  Parent  So- 
ciety, in  reply  to  the  foregoing,  and  re-affirming  the 
previous  views  and  decisions  of  that  Board,  was 
read,  and  laid  on  the  table. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  new  Board,  December 
1st,  1853,  the  aforesaid  communication  was  taken 
from  the  table,  and,  with  the  whole  subject,  referred 
to  a  committee  consisting  of  Messrs.  De  Forest,  Ide, 
Underbill,  Scott,  W.  Allen  Butler,  Backus,  and  Hay- 
ward.  At  the  January  (1854)  meeting,  the  com- 
mittee reported,  re-affirming  the  first  resolution  of 
October  28,  1853,  and  dismissing  the  further  con- 
sideration of  the  communication  of  the  Parent  Board 
referred  to  them. 

The  questions  involved  in  this  matter  remained 
without  essential  modification  until  May,  1855 ; 
when,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Peter  Carter,  the  Purchasing 


1850-57.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  77 

and  General  Distribution  Committee  were  author- 
ized to  hire  and  fit  up  rooms  for  a  depository  at 
No.  7  Beekman  Street,  and  engage  a  suitable  per- 
son as  General  Agent.  At  the  regular  meeting  in 
June,  the  committee  reported  that  the  depository 
would  be  ready  by  the  15th  inst.,  and  that  the  serv- 
ices of  Mr.  Nathan  Camp  had  been  engaged  as 
General  Agent. 

[As  this  work  is  passing  through  the  press,  the 
Board  has  decided  to  relinquish  its  "Depository  and 
Sales-room"  in  May,  1858,  on  account  of  the  ex- 
pense to  the  Society  which  it  involves.] 

In  April,  1855,  Mr.  W.  Allen  Butler  communica- 
ted a  letter  just  received  by  him  as  Corresponding 
Secretary  from  the  Secretary  of  the  British  and  For- 
eign Bible  Society,  in  reply  to  a  circular  which,  as 
directed  by  the  Board  in  June,  1854,  he  had  ad- 
dressed to  that  society,  and  to  various  local  Bible 
societies  at  British  ports,  "  on  the  subject  of  the  sup- 
ply of  emigrants  sailing  from  such  ports."  The 
letter  breathed  a  Christian  spirit ;  admitting  some 
remissness  in  the  past,  stating  the  new  means  to  be 
adopted  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  work,  suggest- 
ing some  peculiar  local  difficulties  in  the  way  of 
making  them  completely  effective,  and  cordially 
thanking  this  Society  for  the  zeal  and  devotedness 
of  its  past  efforts  in  this  department  of  its  labours. 
The  Board  ordered  the  correspondence  entered  in 
full  upon  the  journal. 

In  pleasant  coincidence  with  this  was  the  new 


78  H [STORY    OF    THE  (1850-57. 

arrangement,  which  commenced  in  August  of  this 
year,  by  which  Castle  Garden  was  made  the  exclu- 
sive landing  place  for  immigrants,  thus  very  greatly 
facilitating  the  labours  of  our  agents,  and  securing 
much  more  thoroughness  in  the  supply. 

At  the  regular  meeting  June  5th,  1856,  a  detailed 
report  of  its  operations  was  received  from  the  Ma- 
rine Committee,  particularly  in  relation  to  the  com- 
bination of  tract  distribution  with  its  work  of  Bible 
distribution  on  board  ships.  After  some  discussion, 
resolutions  were  adopted  approving  the  general 
plan  and  execution  of  the  work,  and  recognizing 
the  importance  and  utility  of  permitting  an  inci- 
dental distribution  of  tracts  by  any  of  its  agents, 
but  declaring  that  "  in  the  judgment  of  the  Board 
tract  distribution  should  be  strictly  incidental ;"  and 
that  "great  care  and  discrimination  are  necessary, 
on  the  part  of  the  Marine  Committee  and  its 
Agent,"  to  avoid  a  departure  from  this  principle. 

In  the  course  of  1857,  Mr.  Byrne  was  employed 
to  labour  among  seamen,  which  he  did  with  great 
zeal  and  interest  for  a  short  time ;  but  in  July  his 
health  demanded  a  return  to  his  native  country,  and 
the  Board  parted  with  him,  with  resolutions  of  re- 
gret, and  assurance  of  interest  and  esteem.  Mr. 
Parker  was  also  employed  for  some  months  in  the 
course  of  this  year  in  visiting  destitute  families. 

At  the  meeting  held  January  8th,  1857,  on  motion 
of  H.  G.  De  Forest,  it  was 

Resolved,  That  with  a  view  to  mutual  encouragement  and 


1850-57.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  79 

edification  this  Board  invite  the  former  officers  of  the  Board  of 
Managers,  who  may  be  accessible,  to  meet  with  them  at  the  next 
regular  meeting  of  the  Board,  on  Thursday,  the  5th  day  of  Feb- 
ruary, at  7i  P.  M.,  and  that  the  Corresponding  Secretary  ex- 
tend this  invitation  as  far  as  may  be  practicable. 

This  invitation  called  together  a  number  of  the 
former  members  and  officers  of  the  Board,  among 
whom  were  three  members  of  the  original  Board. 
The  president  expressed  the  pleasure  felt  by  the 
Board  in  meeting  the  older  friends  and  officers  of 
the  Society,  and  made  some  interesting  statements 
in  reference  to  its  progress  since  they  had  ceased  to 
be  connected  with  it.  Earnest  prayers  for  a  con- 
tinued blessing  upon  the  Society  were  offered  by 
those  who  had  often  prayed  for  it  in  other  years. 
Interesting  addresses  were  made,  and  impressive 
reminiscences  communicated ;  all  the  older  members 
referring  particularly  and  with  much  feeling  to  the 
hallowed  Christian  influence  pervading  the  earlier 
meetings  of  the  Board,  making  them,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Hon.  Judge  Slosson,  "  precious  means 
of  grace." 

The  whole  meeting  had  the  character  of  a  happy 
and  inspiring  Christian  reunion. 

A  letter  was  read  from  Norman  White,  Esq.,  a 
former  president,  of  which  the  following  is  an  ex- 
tract : 

It  is  nearly  thirty  years  since  I  first  became  associated  with 
others  in  the  management  of  the  Young  Men's  New  York  Bible 
Society,  and  I  can  truly  say  that  I  recur  to  no  period  of  my  life 
with  recollections  in  all  respects  so  agreeable  as  while  discharg- 


80  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1850-57. 

ing  my  duties  in  that  connection.  It  is  almost  twenty  years 
since  I  was  disqiialified  by  your  constitution,  as  it  then  stood, 
from  longer  serving  in  the  management;  yet  I  have  watched 
your  progress  and  witnessed  your  prosperity  with  unfeigned  sat- 
isfaction. Your  society  from  small  beginnings  has  gone  on  with 
steady  perseverance,  increasing  in  favour  and  prosperity  until  its 
annual  income  has  arisen  from  a  few  hundred  dollars  to  more 
than  twenty  thousand. 

But  w^e  look  for  greater  things.  There  is  a  growing  feeling 
that  the  Bible  is  the  Book  which,  under  Providence,  is  to  be 
relied  upon  as  the  great  instrumentality  in  the  salvation  of  the 
world.     More  vigorous  efforts  are  demanded  in  this  Cause. 

The  disastrous  monetary  panic  of  October,  1857, 
found  the  Society  largely  in  debt  to  the  American 
Bible  Society ;  and,  for  a  time,  it  was  apprehended 
that  it  would  not  be  possible  to  close  the  year  free 
from  liabilities,  as  had  been  uniformly  done  since 
1850 ;  but  the  friends  of  the  Bible,  within  and 
without  the  Board,  made  an  earnest  effort  to  this 
end,  and  accomplished  it. 

At  the  close  of  this  year,  Mr.  Henry  Ide  retired 
from  the  Presidency  of  the  Society,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Mr.  J.  W.  Underhill. 

In  the  hasty  survey  which  we  have  thus  taken 
of  the  growth  of  our  Society,  it  is  observable  that 
its  later  years  afford  but  meagre  materials  for  his- 
tory, unless  we  should  amplify  details  which  are 
condensed  in  statistical  tables,  inserted  in  the  Ap- 
pendix to  this  work,  or  embody  here  the  current  re- 
ports of  the  actual  field  w^ork  of  its  agents,  extracts 
from  which  usually  accompany  its  annual  reports. 


1850-57.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  81 

Beginning  in  1824  by  supplying  the  New  York 
Sunday  School  Union  with  the  Scriptures  for  be- 
stowment  in  the  schools  under  its  care  as  premiums 
and  rewards,  the  Society  continued  to  labour  al- 
most exclusively  in  this  direction  until  1829,  when 
the  Humane  and  Criminal  Institutions  of  our  city 
began  to  be  furnished.  The  soldiers  at  our  military 
posts  were  first  supplied  in  1831.  In  1832  the  sup- 
ply of  the  destitute  resident  population  was  begun 
by  ward  committees  of  the  Board,  and  through 
grants  to  the  clergy  of  the  city.  The  supply  of  the 
naval  stations  in  our  harbour,  the  distribution  to 
immigrants,  and  that  among  the  seamen  of  our 
commercial  marine,  domestic  and  foreign,  were  un- 
dertaken in  1834.  From  1840  to  1844  various 
small  items  were  added.  Hotels,  engine  compa- 
nies, &c.,  received  such  grants  as  seemed  desirable 
and  judicious.  In  the  former  year  the  supply  of 
the  Sabbath  schools  connected  with  the  New  York 
S.  S.  Union,  which  had  for  a  while  been  ac- 
complished through  other  agencies,  was  resumed ; 
and  in  the  latter  year  a  special  supply  of  des- 
titute resident  families  was  made.  In  1845  the 
marine  work  and  the  supply  of  immigrants,  which 
for  ten  years  had  been  combined,  were  placed 
in  charge  of  distinct  committees ;  and  since  that 
time  the  practice  of  sending  small  lots  of  Bibles, 
&c.,  in  various  languages,  by  sea-going  vessels,  for 
distribution  in  foreign  ports,  and  to  passengers  on 
the  return  voyage,  has  been  adopted  by  the  Marine 

6 


82  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1850-57. 

Committee  with  interesting  and  valuable  results. 
In  1847  the  whole  city  was  explored,  and  some  1,800 
destitute  families  supplied  (see  page  68)  ;  and  in 
1849  a  standing  committee  on  the  supply  of  the 
destitute  resident  population  was  appointed,  charged 
with  the  periodical  re-exploration  of  the  cit}^  and 
the  supply  of  its  destitutions.  This  seemed  to  com- 
plete the  Society's  necessary  agencies  for  its  vari- 
ous fields  of  distribution. 

The  means  of  the  Society  have  kept  pace  with 
the  enlargement  of  its  sphere  of  labour,  and  the 
increase  of  the  objects  of  its  charities.  In  the 
first  3^ear  of  its  existence  its  receipts  were  8273  ; 
in  1857,  independent  of  sales,  they  were  814,659  11. 
Its  issues  in  1824  were  583  volumes,  almost  exclu- 
sively in  English.  In  1857  they  had  grown  to 
67,020  volumes,  in  more  than  twenty  different  lan- 
guages ;  the  grand  total  of  its  issues  in  thirty-four 
years  reaching  1,140,380  volumes.  Its  donations  to 
the  American  Bible  Society,  since  it  became  auxil- 
iary in  1829,  have  amounted  to  842,099  93;  or 
about  an  average  of  $1,450  annually. 

Though  the  Society  has  thus  grov/n,  as  we  have 
seen,  from  the  very  feeblest  infancy  to  strength,  it 
has  not  yet  been  permitted  to  attain  its  full  and 
proper  development.  The  machinery  of  the  move- 
ments demanded  in  our  w^ork  is  not  yet  perfect. 
Three  things  are  important,  if  not  essential,  to  its 
future  competency  for  the  work,  to  which,  in  the 
natural  course  of  events,  the  Society  must  be  called: — 


1850-57.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  83 

1st.  To  be  entirely  rid  of  its  original  defect  of 
indirection  in  its  proper  work ;  to  require  and  re- 
ceive a  direct  account  of  every  volume  or  package 
of  volumes  it  sends  forth,  so  far  as  they  may  be 
properly  traceable  by  any  agency  concerned  in 
their  distribution.  There  are  inherent  and  invinci- 
ble difficulties  in  the  way  of  equitably  accomplish- 
ing the  highest  attainable  good  by  any  other 
process. 

2d.  That,  like  her  sister  auxiliaries  through- 
out the  Union,  she  alone  may  be  regarded  as  the 
Bible  Society  of  the  region  over  which  her  la- 
bours extend ;  that  all  funds  raised  within  her 
proper  limits  be  collected  by  her,  or  credited  to 
her,  unless  on  special  request  of  contributors  to 
the  contrary ;  that,  in  like  manner,  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  within  those  limits,  whether 
by  sale  or  grant,  be  left  with  her ;  all  applications 
for  grants  being  referred  to  her  decision,  which 
decision,  unless  in  extraordinary  cases,  should  be 
final.  Under  such  a  system,  frequent  occasions 
would  be  found  and  embraced  for  the  manifestation 
of  mutual  confidence  and  liberality  between  Parent 
and  Auxiliary.  It  is  alike  honourable  to  the  Society 
and  grateful  to  the  lovers  of  peace  that,  notwith- 
standing the  conviction  upon  the  minds  of  its  friends 
that  its  natural  and  equitable  position  has  not  hith- 
erto been  accorded  to  it,  its  abundant  labours  have 
been  nobly  and  cheerfully  performed ;  but  it  is  not 
on  this  account  the  less,  but  the  more  desirable  and 


84  HISTORY    OF    THE  (1850-57. 

proper  that  the  occasion  for  that  conviction  should 
be  removed.  We  love  the  American  Bible  Society, 
and  pray  that  nothing  may  ever  be  permitted  to 
interfere  w^ith  its  advancement  in  honour  and  use- 
fulness. But  while  that  stands  out,  owned  and  hon- 
oured, for  the  Union  and  the  world,  this  Society 
should  stand  with  equal  prominence,  though  not 
with  equal  grandeur,  for  the  city  and  county  of  New 
York — a  crown  of  glory  to  its  Christian  patriots. 

3d.  A  permanent  and  free  location  for  her  depos- 
itory and  business  offices.  Thirty-four  years  of 
earnest  labours  for  the  moral  and  spiritual  benefit 
of  our  city,  extending  themselves,  as  Providence  has 
opened  the  way,  into  every  penal  and  philanthropic 
institution  in  our  midst ;  to  the  homes  of  misery,  and 
haunts  of  vice,  which,  like  plague  spots,  are  still 
found  among  us ;  to  every  family  of  our  multitudi- 
nous and  commingled  population ;  to  the  strangers 
as  they  come  in  crowds  to  seek  a  happier  home 
than  the  Old  World  afforded ;  to  every  vessel  that 
floats  upon  our  waters ;  and  to  many  of  these  com- 
mitting further  "  ventures"  of  God's  Word,  that  they 
may  carry  them  to  the  distant  and  the  destitute, 
giving  thus  withal  a  character  to  our  seamen  and 
our  commerce  of  which  even  the  Empire  City  may 
be  proud  ; — labours  such  as  these  constitute  a  claim, 
in  behalf  of  this  Society,  to  be  provided  with  a 
"  local  habitation." 

The  Christian  citizens  of  New  York  have  done 
wisely  and  rightly  in  providing  for  the  American 


1850-57.)  NEW    YORK    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  85 

Bible  and  Tract  Societies,  almost  from  the  incep- 
tion of  those  grand  Christian  enterprises ;  and  why 
should  not  a  modicum  of  the  same  Christian  liberal- 
ity be  invoked  to  furnish  a  home  for  the  child  whom 
they  have  nourished — for  their  own  "  son  that  serv- 
eth  them"  in  the  distribution  of  the  Word  of  God, 
the  Bread  of  Life,  to  the  perishing  in  their  midst  ? 
It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  name  of  the  man, 
whose  heart  the  Lord  shall  stir  up  to  do  this  good 
thing,  will  fill  the  brightest  line  upon  the  enduring 
scroll  that  bears  the  record  of  the  benefactors  of 
New  York  to  the  future  generations  of  her  sons. 

In  reference  to  those  aids  needed  by  the  Society 
which  no  position  can  supply,  nor  money  purchase, 
we  prefer  not  to  speak  our  own  words,  but  to  gather 
counsel  from  the  wisdom  of  the  past.  The  report 
of  this  Society  for  1842  truly  remarks  : 

The  Board  are  called  upon  to  look  at  this  subject  with  the 
eye  of  faith.  They  should  regard  it  in  the  light  of  proph- 
ecy ;  they  should  undertake  the  work,  armed  with  the  ^'  prom- 
ises" of  God;  and  thoroughly  persuaded  that,  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  the  Gospel  alone,  either  read  or  preached,  is 
the  kingdom  of  Satan  to  be  upturned,  and  "the  kingdom  of  grace 
to  be  established.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  we  do  not  regard 
this  work  sufficiently  as  a  spiritual  enterprise.  In  the  collec- 
tion and  disbursement  of  moneys,  and  in  the  rough  encounters 
we  are  sometimes  subjected  to  in  the  course  of  distribution,  we 
are  naturally  inclined  to  lose  sight,  in  a  measure,  of  the  great 
end  and  design  of  our  association ;  to  wit,  the  furtherance  of 
Christ's  spiritual  kingdom  in  the  earth.  There  is  danger  here 
which  requires  watchfulness.     We   are  too  apt,  again,  to  be 


86  HISTORY    OF    N.   Y.   BIBLE   SOCIETY.     (1850-57. 

discouraged  at  not  beholding  visibly  the  fruits  of  our  labours. 
This  should  not  be,  Bible  distribution  is  a  M^ork  of  "  faith." 
We  must  enter  upon  it,  believing  in  Him  who  hath  said :  "  My 
word  shall  not  return  unto  me  void,  but  it  shall  accomplish  that 
which  I  please,  and  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I  sent  it." 

The  following  extract  from  the  last  Annual 
Report  by  the  esteemed  Timothy  R.  Green  (pre- 
sented in  1832),  is  as  entirely  suited  to  the  con- 
dition and  circumstances  of  the  Society  to-day  as 
when  written  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  and 
embodies  as  truly  the  sentiments  of  its  Board  of 
Managers : 

In  conclusion,  your  Board  would  express  its  conviction  that 
whatever  benefits  to  the  community  may  heretofore  have  flowed 
from  this  Society,  they  are  the  results  of  close  dependence  upon 
the  Answerer  of  prayer.  His  shrouding  providence  has  again 
and  again  broken  away,  and  offered  from  the  bosoms  of  its  opening 
clouds  fields  of  duty  new  and  large,  and  full  of  promise  to  our 
humble  toil.  He  has  enabled  us  more  than  once  to  reap  where 
we  had  ourselves  sown — a  favour  which  the  "Lord  of  the  har- 
vest" bestows  upon  few  of  his  labourers.  Our  whole  history 
confirms  the  testimony  of  the  prophet,  "  It  is  not  in  man  that 
walketh  to  direct  his  steps  :"  and  yet,  our  cause  has  been  almost 
undeviatingly  onward,  if  not  continually  and  uniformly  accel- 
erated. While  we  recognize  the  arm  which  has  been  stretched 
out  to  direct  and  to  uphold  us,  we  would  cling  to  it  anew,  and 
confide  in  its  strength.  We  call  upon  all  who  have  watched  our 
progress,  and  especially  on  all  whose  aid  hath  furthered  it,  to 
inscribe  our  name  and  our  efforts  upon  the  scroll  of  their  daily 
supplication,  with  which  they  enter  the  presence  chamber  of  the 
Highest,  and  draw  near  to  the  throne  of  his  grace ;  and  there  to 
give  them,  with  their  own  holiest  and  fondest  hopes,  into  the 
hand  of  the  one  Great  Intercessor. 


APPENDIX. 


DOCUMENT   A. 

ORIGINAL    CONSTITUTION, 

Adopted  September  22,  1823. 

article  i. 
The  Society  shall  be   called  the  Young  Men's  New  York 
Bible  Society,  and  shall  be  auxiliary  to  the  New  York  Bible 
Society. 

ARTICLE    II. 

Tlie  object  of  this  Society  shall  be  to  engage  the  co-operation 
of  young  persons  in  the  distribution  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures, 
and  to  raise  funds  for  this  purpose,  and  in  aid  of  the  funds  of 
the  Parent  Society. 

ARTICLE    III. 

This  Society  shall  use  its  endeavours  to  promote  the  formation 
of  young  men's,  youth's,  and  juvenile  Auxiliary  Bible  Societies, 
wherever  a  field  may  be  opened  for  the  same. 

ARTICLE    IV. 

The  Bibles  and  Testaments,  circulated  by  this  Society,  shall 
be  purchased  of  the  New  York  Bible  Society ;  and  the  surplus 
funds  of  this  institution,  at  the  close  of  the  year,  shall  be  trans- 
mitted to  the  Treasurer  of  the  New  York  Bible  Society. 


88  APPENDIX. 

ARTICLE    V. 

Every  person  under  thirty  years  of  age,  subscribing  one  dollar 
and  fifty  cents  annually,  shall  be  a  meinber  of  this  Society ;  and 
each  subscriber  of  ten  dollars  at  one  time  shall  be  a  member  of 
this  Society  till  he  has  attained  the  age  of  thirty  years. 

ARTICLE    VI. 

Every  person  subscribing  twenty  dollars  at  one  time  shall  be 
an  honorary  member  of  this  Society  for  life,  and  shall  be  enti- 
tled as  such  to  attend  the  meetings  of  the  Board  of  Managers, 
and  at  such  meetings  to  express  his  opinion  in  the  usual  manner 


ARTICLE    VII. 

The  President,  Vice  Presidents,  Treasurer,  and  Corresponding 
Secretary  of  the  New  York  Bible  Society  shall  be,  ex  officio,  hon- 
orary members  of  this  institution. 

ARTICLE    VIII. 

The  affairs  of  this  Society  shall  be  conducted  by  a  President, 
six  Vice  Presidents^  a  Treasurer,  a  Corresponding  Secretary,  a 
Recording  Secretary,  and  thirty  Managers,  of  whom  none  shall 
be  less  than  eighteen  years  of  age. 

ARTICLE    IX. 

There  shall  be  a  meeting  of  the  Society  on  the  tliird  Monday 
in  October,  at  which  time  the  election  for  officers  for  the  ensuing 
year  shall  take  place,  and  the  annual  report  shall  be  presented 
by  the  Board  of  Managers,  and  arrangements  made  for  the  cele- 
bration of  the  anniversary,  which  shall  take  place  on  the  third 
Monday  in  November,  or  as  soon  thereafter  as  practicable. 

ARTICLE    X. 

The  Board  of  Managers  shall  meet  at  least  once  every  month, 
shall  fill  their  own  vacancies,  make  their  own  by-laws,  call 
their  own  meetings,  and,  with  a  majority  of  tw^o-thirds,  call  a 
special  general  meeting  of  the  Society. 


DOCUMENT    A.  89 

ARTICLE    XI. 

Every  member  of  this  institution,  arriving  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
years,  shall  receive  a  certificate  addressed  to  the  President  of  the 
New  York  Bible  Society,  stating  the  amount  of  donation  or  sub- 
scription paid  by  him ;  of  the  issuing  of  which  certificate  the 
Secretary  of  the  New  York  Bible  Society  shall  be  advised  by  the 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  institution,  in  order  that  the 
member,  whose  connexion  with  this  institution  is  thus  dissolved 
with  the  Auxiliary,  may  be  invited  to  transfer  his  relation  to  the 
Parent  Institution. 

ARTICLE    XII. 

Every  meeting,  either  of  the  Society,  or  of  the  Board  of  Mana- 
gers, shall  be  opened  with  reading  a  portion  of  the  Scriptures ; 
and  the  proceedings  of  every  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Managers 
shall  be  duly  recorded  and  signed  by  the  Secretary;  and  the  pro- 
ceedings of  every  meeting  of  the  Society  shall  be  signed  by  the 
Chairman. 

ARTICLE    XIII. 

Every  member  of  this  Society  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  one 
Bible  gratuitously  at  the  time  of  his  subscription,  and  also  at  all 
times  to  purchase  what  Bibles  and  Testaments  he  may  wish  at 
cost. 

ARTICLE  XIV. 

Fifteen  members  shall  constitute  a  quorum  at  any  meeting  of 
the  Society,  and  seven  members  shall  form  a  quorum  at  any 
meeting  of  the  Board  of  Managers. 

ARTICLE    XV. 

This  Constitution  shall  not  be  altered  without  the  concurrence 
of  two-thirds  of  the  members  present  at  a  regular  meeting  of  the 
Society,  or  at  a  special  meeting  of  the  Society,  called  by  a  notice 
given  in  four  of  the  principal  public  papers  of  the  city,  which 
notice  shall  specify  that  an  alteration  in  the  Constitution  is  pro- 


90  APPENDIX. 

This  Constitution  was  amended  at  the  second  an- 
niversary of  the  Society,  held  at  the  City  Hotel,  De- 
cember 26th,  1825,  articles  5th  and  6th  (original) 
being  replaced  by  a  single  article,  5th,  as  follows : 

"Article  6th.  Every  person  subscribing  one  dol- 
lar and  fifty  cents  annually  shall  be  a  member  of 
this  Society ;  and  each  subscriber  of  fifteen  dollars 
at  one  time  shall  be  a  member  for  life." 

Article  8th  (original),  which  became  article  7th 
by  the  above  change,  was  amended  by  limiting  the 
age  of  officers  to  not  "less  than  eighteen,  or  more 
than  thirty -jive  years  of  age." 

Article  9th  (original),  which  became  8th,  was 
amended  as  follows : 

"Article  8th.  The  annual  meeting  shall  be  held 
on  the  last  Thursday  in  November,  at  which  time 
the  annual  report  shall  be  presented  by  the  Board 
of  Managers,  and  an  election  of  officers  for  the  en- 
suing year  shall  take  place." 

Article  lltli  (original)  was  omitted. 

Article  15th  (original),  which  became  13th,  was 
amended  by  striking  out  all  after  the  first  clause, 
leaving  the  Constitution  alterable  only  b}"  a  two- 
thirds  vote  "  of  the  members  present  at  a  regular 
meeting  of  the  Society." 

At  the  fifth  anniversary  of  the  Societ}^  November 
17th,  1828,  several  amendments  are  said  to  have 
been  adopted,  but  are  not  recorded.  They  were  no 
doubt  changes  in  the  1st,  4th,  and  6th  (7th  original) 
articles,  in  view  of  becoming  auxiliary  to  the  Amer- 


DOCUMENT    A.  91 

ican  Bible  Society,  which  occurred-  in  March  fol- 
lowing. 

At  the  seventh  anniversary  of  the  Society,  in  No- 
vember, 1830,  the  Constitution  W3,s  amended  by  in- 
serting the  words  "  or  more^  after  "  one  dollar  and 
fifty  cents,"  in  the  5th  article. 

At  its  ninth  anniversary,  in  November,  1832,  arti- 
cle 2d  (original)  was  amended  by  inserting  the 
words  '^without  note  or  comment,^''  after  the  word 
"  Scriptures." 

Article  3d  (original)  was  amended  by  substitu- 
ting the  words  '^ every  exertion"  for  "its  endeav- 
ours," in  the  first  clause. 

Article  5th  (original  0th)  was  amended  by  insert- 
ing the  words  "or  more^''  after  "fifteen  dollars,"  in 
the  last  clause. 

Article  7th  (original  8th)  was  amended  by  in- 
creasing the  number  of  Managers  to  "/or/?/,"  and 
adding  to  it  the  provision  that  "  one  half  of  the 
whole  number  of  Managers  shall  go  out  of  office  at 
the  expiration  of  each  year,  but  shall  be  re-eligible." 

Article  8th  (original  9th)  was  so  amended  as  to 
leave  the  particular  day  "  in  the  month  of  Novem- 
ber," on  which  the  annual  meeting  might  be  held, 
to  the  pleasure  of  the  Board  of  Managers. 

Article  10th  (original  11th)  was  omitted,  and  by 
the  omission  articles  11th  and  12th  (original  12th 
and  13th)  became  articles  10th  and  11th. 

Article  13th  (original  15th)  was  numbered  14th, 
and  the  two  following  new  articles  placed  before  it: 


92  APPENDIX. 

"Article  12th.  The  Managers  shall  have  the 
power  of  constituting  such  persons  as  they  deem 
proper  honorary  members  of  the  Society." 

"Article  13th.  The  Corresponding  Secretaries  of 
all  societies  auxiliary  to  this  shall  be  considered,  ex 
officio,  members  of  the  Board  of  Managers."  The 
word  "corresponding"  being  omitted  in  the  article, 
as  printed  in  the  annual  report. 

At  a  meeting  held  November  8th,  1838,  article 
8th  (original  9th)  was  amended  by  inserting  the 
word  '^January'''  instead  of  the  word  "November;" 
and  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  anniversaries  of  the 
Society  were  held  in  that  month. 

At  its  sixteenth  anniversary,  held  January  15th, 
1840,  the  following  amendments  were  made  : 

Article  1st  was  amended  by  striking  out  the 
words  "  Young  Meii's^ 

Article  2d  was  amended  by  omitting  the  words 
*'/o  engage  the  co-operation  of  young  persons  in,^^ 
after  "be"  in  the  first  line. 

Article  3d  was  omitted. 

Article  4th.  In  this  article  a  redundant  clause 
was  omitted. 

Article  7th  (original  8th),  which  became  article 
6th,  was  amended  by  inserting  "  twenty-one''''  and 
"forty^"'  years  as  the  minimum  and  maximum  of  the 
age  of  officers,  instead  of  "eighteen"  and  "thirty- 
five"  years. 

'     In  article  8th  (original  9th),  which  became  arti- 
cle 7th,  the  word  "  November"  w^as  restored. 


DOCUMENT    A.  93 

Article  10th  (original  ISth),  which  became  arti- 
cle 9th,  was  amended  by  striking  off  the  provision 
in  reference  to  the  purchase  of  books  by  members. 

Article  13th,  added  in  1832,  was  omitted,  and 
article  14th  became  article  12th. 

At  its  thirty-first  anniversary,  held  in  November, 
1854,  the  Constitution  of  the  Society  was  amended 
as  follows : 

Article  6th,  by  inserting  the  word  ^'fiftif  instead 
of  "  forty,"  as  the  number  of  Managers  to  be  annu- 
ally elected. 

Article  7th,  by  adding  a  provision  that  "  in  case 
of  failure  to  elect  the  whole  number  of  Managers 
at  such  annual  meeting,  the  Board  of  Managers 
elected  at  such  meeting  shall  have  power  to  fill  all 
vacancies." 

The  Constitution  now  stands  as  follows  : 

CONSTITUTION. 

ARTICLE    I. 

This  Society  shall  be  called  the  New  York  Bible  Society, 
Auxiliary  to  the  American  Bible  Society. 

ARTICLE    II. 

The  object  of  this  Society  shall  be  the  distribution  of  the 
Sacred  Scriptures  without  note  or  commentj  and  the  raising  of 
funds  for  this  purpose,  and  in  aid  of  the  funds  of  the  Parent 
Society. 

ARTICLE    III. 

The  Bibles  and  Testaments  circulated  by  this  Society  shall  be 
purchased  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  and  its  surplus  funds 
shall  be  paid  over  to  the  Parent  Society. 


94  APPENDIX. 

ARTICLE    IV. 

Every  person  subscribing  Si  50,  or  more,  annually,  shall  be 
a  Member  of  this  Society;  and  each  subscriber  of  $15,  or  more, 
at  one  time,  shall  be  a  Member  for  Life. 

ARTICLE    V. 

The  President  and  first  Vice  President,  in  the  City  of  New 
York,  Treasurer  and  Secretaries,  of  the  American  Bible  Society, 
shall  be,  ex  officio,  Honorary  IMembers  of  this  Institution. 

ARTICLE    VI. 

The  affairs  of  this  Society  shall  be  conducted  by  a  President, 
six  Vice  Presidents,  a  Treasurer,  a  Corresponding  Secretary, 
Recording  Secretary,  and  fifty  Managers,  of  whom  none  shall 
be  less  than  twenty-one,  or  more  than  forty  years  of  age.  One 
half  of  the  whole  number  of  the  Managers  shall  go  out  of  office 
at  the  expiration  of  each  year,  but  shall  be  re-eligible. 

ARTICLE    VII. 

The  Annual  Meeting  shall  be  held  in  the  month  of  Novem- 
ber, at  which  time  the  Annual  Report  shall  be  presented  by  the 
Board,  and  an  election  of  Ofiicers  and  jNIanagers  shall  take  place 
for  the  ensuing  year ;  and  in  case  of  failure  to  elect  the  whole 
number  of  Managers  at  such  Annual  Meeting,  the  Board  of 
Managers,  elected  at  such  meeting,  shall  have  power  to  fill  all 
vacancies. 

ARTICLE    VIII. 

The  Board  of  Managers  shall  meet  at  least  once  every  month ; 
shall  fill  their  own  vacancies ;  make  their  own  By-Laws ;  call 
their  own  Meetings ;  and,  with  a  majority  of  two-thirds,  call  a 
Special  General  Meeting  of  the  Society. 

ARTICLE    IX. 

Every  Member  of  the  Society  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  one 
Bible  gratuitously  at  the  time  of  his  subscription. 


DOCUMENT    B.  95 

ARTICLE    X. 

Fifteen  Members  shall  constitute  a  quorum  at  any'meetin"-  of 
the  Society;  and  seven  INIanagers,  including  the  Otficers,  shall 
constitute  a  quorum  at  any  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Managers. 

ARTICLE    XI. 

The  Managers  shall  have  the  power  of  constituting  such  per- 
sons as  they  deem  proper  Honorary  ^Members  of  the  Society. 

ARTICLE    XII. 

This  Constitution  shall  not  be  altered  without  the  concurrence 
of  two-thirds  of  the  members  present  at  a  regular  meeting  of  the 
Society. 


DOCUMENT   B. 

OFFICERS. 
From  the  date  of  its  organization  to  the  present 
time,  the  Society  has  had  sixteen  Presidents.    Those 
marked  thus  (*)  served  by  re-election : 

Presidents 

1 .  Horatio  Gillet, 

2.  Henry  Bennett, 

3.  Wm.  Winterton, 

4.  Oliver  E.  Cobb, 

5.  Norman  White, 

6.  Frederick  S.  Winston, 

7.  Timothy  R.  Green, 

8.  Alfred  Edwards, 

9.  John  Slosson, 

10.  Wm.  P.  Buel, 

11.  A.  Robertson  Walsh, 

t  Mr.  Cobb  presided  in  December,  1832,  and  .Tanuary  and  February,  1833;  was 
excused  on  account  of  sickness  in  March  and  April;  and  was  buried  April  28  1833. 


When  elected. 

September  22,  1823. 
November  22,  1824. 

Term  of  Service. 

1  year. 

*4     '^ 

a 

17,  1828. 

*4 

u 

28,  1832. 

tl 

u 

27,  1833. 

*3 

January 

23,  1836. 
3,  1839. 

*2 
1 

"           15,  1840. 
November  20,  1843. 

*4 

*2 

(.'. 

17,  1845. 

#2 

u 

22,  1847. 

*2 

96 

APPENDIX. 

Presidents. 

When  elected. 

Term  of  Service, 

12. 

E.  H.  Blatchford, 

November 

26,  1849. 

1  year. 

13. 

Thomas  Bond, 

a 

20,  1850. 

*  2     " 

14. 

Henry  K.  Bull, 

u 

22,  1852.] 

1      " 

15. 

E.  M.  KiDgsley, 

a 

21,  1853. 

*2     " 

16. 

Henry  Ide, 

u 

26,  1855. 

*2     '• 

34  years. 


It  has  had  ten  Treasurers,  viz. 

1.  Silas  Butler,  Jr.,  who  served  in  1824 

2.  Walter  M.  Smith, 

3.  Solomon  Warriner, 

4.  George  D.  Baldwin, 

5.  Samuel  B.  SchiefFelin, 

6.  George  H.  Williams, 

7.  Wm.  A.  Smith, 

8.  James  M.  Fuller, 

9.  Henry  P.  Marshall, 
10.  Henry  Olmsted, 


a  in  1824, 

1 

year, 

''     1825—1835, 

11 

"     1836,    1837, 

2 

•'     1838—1840, 

3 

''     1841,    1842, 

2 

"     1843—1848, 

6 

'i     1849—1852, 

4 

"     1853, 

1 

"     1854, 

1 

"     1855—1857, 

3 

34  years. 


The  following  gentlemen  have  held  the  offices  of 
Corresponding  and  Recording  Secretaries,  viz. : 

Corresponding. 
1.  Frederick  Bull,  who  served  in  1824,  1  year. 


2. 

George  A.  Dwight, 

cc 

1825—1828, 

4 

3. 

Timothy  R.  Green, 

a 

1829—1832, 

4 

4. 

John  Slosson, 

li 

1833—1838,  l 
1841—1843,  ) 

9 

6. 

cc 

u 

5. 

J.  R.  Van  Rensselaer, 

a 

1839,    1840, 

2 

7. 

E.  H.  Blatchford, 

li 

1844—1846,  1 
1849, 

4 

9. 

u 

u 

8. 

Geo.  N.  Titus, 

IC 

1847,     1848,  1 
1850,                ) 

3 

10. 

u 

11 

DOCUMENT    C.  9-7 

11.  H.  G.  De  Forest,  who  served  in  1851,    1852,  2  years. 

12.  Wm.  Allen  Butler,  "      1853—1855,  3     " 

13.  C.  A.  Davison,*  "      1856,    1857,         ^    2     " 

'  34  years. 

•  The  present  incumbent. 

Recording. 
1 .  Frederick  A.  Guion,  who  served  a  month,  and  then  exchanged 
positions  with  Mr.  Bartow  in  the  Board. 
George  A.  Bartow,  who  served  in  1824,  1  year. 


2. 

Marinns  Willett,  Jr., 

u 

1825, 

1     " 

3. 

Alfred  Edwards, 

u 

1826—1839, 

14     " 

4. 

Thomas  Bond, 

a 

1840—1845, 

6     " 

5. 

John  F.  Williams, 

a 

1846—1852, 

7     " 

6. 

F.  E.  Butler, 

a 

1853,    1854, 

2     '' 

7. 

James  G.  Holden,* 

a 

1855—1857, 

3     " 

*  The  present  incumbent. 

34  years. 

DOCUMENT    C. 

COMMITTEES. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  Board,  held  November  13, 
1823,  a  Nominating  Committee,  which  had  been 
appointed  at  a  previous  meeting,  reported  names 
for  the  following  committees  for  1824,  viz. : 

Committee  on  Bible  Societies ;   that  is,  Aux- 
iliaries (see  Art.  3  of  Constitution),  Purchas- 
ing, Finance,  Distributing,  and  Committee  of 
Arrangements. 
For  1825  and  1826. — Only  two  committees  are 
mentioned,  viz.. 

Purchasing  and  Sunday  School. 


98  APPENDIX. 

For  1827  and  1828. — Purchasing  Committee  and 
Finance  Committee.  (This  committee  in  1828  be- 
ing composed  of  volunteers.) 

For  1829  and  1830. — Three  standing  committees 
were  appointed,  viz. : 

Auxiliary,  Purchasing,  and  Finance. 

For  1831. — Auxiliary,  Purchasing,  and  Finance 
Committees,  and  two  Committees  on  Applications ; 
one  on  those  from  within  the  bounds  of  the  "  New 
York"  and  the  Southern  Sunday  School  Unions,  and 
one  on  applications  from  "  abroad." 

For  1832. — Auxiliar}^,  Purchasing,  and  Finance 
Committees,  and  a  Committee  on  Applications  were 
appointed  ;  to  which  in  January  (17th)  were  added, 
for  the  first  time,  ward  committees  (for  fourteen 
wards),  and  in  May  (3d)  committees  for  the  several 
churches  represented  in  the  Board ;  but  neither  of 
the  two  latter  became  at  this  time  standing  com- 
mittees. 

For  1833. — Auxiliary,  Purchasing,  Finance,  and 
Publishing  Committees,  and  Committees  on  Appli- 
cations, Humane  and  Criminal  Institutions,  and 
Military  Posts,  with  fifteen  ward  committees ;  to 
which  in  January  (3d)  was  added  a  Printing  Com- 
mittee "  for  the  ensuing  year." 

For  1834. — After  laying  on  the  table  a  plan  for 
"  condensing  the  standing  committees,"  the  follow- 
ing were  appointed,  viz. : — Auxiliary,  Purchasing, 
Finance,  and  Printing  and  Publishing  Committees ; 
Committees  on  Applications,  on  Humane  and  Crim- 


DOCUMENT    C.  99 

inal  Institutions,  on  Military  Posts,  on  Naval  Sta- 
tions, on  Vacancies,  on  Arrangements ;  and  fifteen 
ward  committees. 

For  1835. — All  the  foregoing,  except  Committee 
of  Arrangements,  were  appointed,  with  the  addition 
of  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means,  and  Emigrant 
Committee,  which  latter  had  been  appointed  as  a 
special  committee  in  March  (7th)  preceding. 

For  1836  and  1837. — The  same  committees  were 
appointed — in  the  latter  year  for  sixteen  wards. 

For  1838. — The  same,  but  for  seventeen  wards. 

For  1839. — The  Auxiliary  Committee  was  dis- 
continued, and  one  "  Committee  on  Naval  Sta- 
tions and  Military  Posts'*  appointed.  The  rest  as 
before. 

For  1840. — Committees  of  Ways  and  Means,  Fi- 
nance, Applications,  Humane  and  Criminal  Institu- 
tions, Military  Posts,  Naval  Stations,  Vacancies, 
Printing  and  Publishing,  Emigrant,  and  a  Marine 
Committee,  with  associates  from  the  Marine  Bible 
Society  ;  seventeen  Ward  Committees  ;  an  Episco- 
pal Church  Committee  of  nine  ;  a  Methodist  Church 
Committee  of  four ;  a  Baptist  Church  Committee 
of  one ;  and  committees  for  thirty-five  individual 
churches,  appointed  by  Committee  of  Ways  and 
Means,  and  making  their  reports  to  it. 

For  1841. — The  same  committees  were  appointed, 
but  the  "  Marine  and  Emigrant"  were  united,  with 
associates  from  the  Marine  Bible  Society  as  before. 

For  1842-43-44. — The  same  committees  and  ar- 


100  APPENDIX. 

rangement,  with  the  addition  of  "Committee  on 
Public  Meetings  and  Sermons." 

For  1845. — The  same,  with  the  further  addition 
of  "Committee  on  Special  Distribution"  ("chiefly 
to  resident  and  emigrant  foreigners"). 

For  1846. — The  same  committees ;  but  the  Com- 
mittee on  Special  Distribution  took  the  title  of 
"  Emigrant  Committee,"  and  was  disjoined  from 
the  "  Marine,"  which  latter  continued  to  have  as- 
sociates from  the  Marine  Bible  Society  until  the 
close  of  1849. 

For  1847. — The  same  committees,  with  the  addi- 
tion of  an  "  Agency  Committee"  (for  city  distribu- 
tion), and  an  Eighteenth  Ward  Committee. 

For  1848  and  1849. — The  same  committees  and 
arrangement. 

For  1850  annually  to  1854. — The  same,  with  the 
addition  of  "  Committee  on  Supply  of  the  Destitute 
Resident  Population  ;"  and  an  increase  in  the  num- 
ber of  ward  and  church  committees. 

For  1855-56-57. — The  same,  with  the  addition  of 
an  "Auditing  Committee,"  and  the  change  of  title 
of  the  "  Purchasing  Committee"  to  that  of  "  Pur- 
chasing and  General  Distribution  Committee,"  and 
the  mode  of  constituting  it  defined  by  a  special 
by-law. 

They  now  stand  as  follows,  viz. : 

Committee  of  Ways  and  Means ;  on  Supply  of 
Destitute  Resident  Population  ;  Marine  ;  Emigrant ; 
on  Humane  and  Criminal  Institutions;  on  Naval 


DOCUMENT    C.  101 

Stations ;  on  Military  Posts  ;  Printing  and  Publish- 
ing ;  on  Applications ;  on  Vacancies ;  on  Public 
Meetings  and  Sermons ;  Purchasing  and  General 
Distribution ;  Auditing ;  Finance ;  twenty  Ward 
Committees  (for  twenty-two  wards)  ;  an  Episcopal 
Church  Committee  ;  a  Methodist  Church  Committee ; 
and  committees  for  between  fifty  and  sixty  individ- 
ual churches. 

The  standing  committees  down  to  1845  wxre  either 
nominated  by  a  committee  and  elected,  or  nominated 
by  the  President,  and  approved  by  the  Board ;  but 
for  that  year,  and  since,  all  committees  (except 
Church  Committees)  have  been  appointed  by  "  the 
Chair,"  unless  on  special  motion.  The  President  of 
the  Society  is,  ex  officio,  a  member  of  all  the  stand- 
ing committees,  the  duties  of  which  are  thus  de- 
fined in  the  last  edition  of  the  by-laws : 

DUTIES  OF  COMMITTEES. 

COMMITTEE    OF    WAYS    AND    MEANS,  ^ 

To  have  the  Bible  Cause  presented  to  all  the  congregations  of 
the  various  religious  denominations  represented  in  the  society, 
for  the  purpose  of  raising  funds ;  to  appoint  Church  Committees 
from  among  the  members  of  the  Board,  who  shall  make  collec- 
tions in  the  churches  to  wliich  they  shall  be  assigned. 

FINANCE    COMMITTEE. 

To  collect  the  annual  dues  of  members,  procure  new  mem- 
bers, and  solicit  and  collect  donations  and  subscriptions. 

PURCHASING    AND    GENERAL    DISTRIBUTION    COMMITTEE. 

To  purchase  and  deliver  all  books  issued  by  the  society,  and 
take  charge  of  the  sales  and  gratuitous  distribution  at  the  depos- 


102  APPENDIX. 

itory.     They  shall  have  power  to  make  donations  not  exceeding 
one  hundred  dollars  in  value. 

COMMITTEE     ON     SUPPLY    OF     THE     DESTITUTE     RESIDENT    POPU- 
LATION. 

To  attend  to  the  distribution  of  the  Scriptures  among  the  des- 
titute city  population,  and  the  supplying  of  hotels. 

COMMITTEE    ON    HUMANE    AND    CRIMINAL    INSTITUTIONS. 

To  visit  all  such  institutions  in  the  city,  and  see  that  they  are 
kept  well  supplied  with  the  Sacred  Scriptures. 

J  COMMITTEE    ON   APPLICATIONS. 

To  receive  all  applications  for  donations  from  others  than  fam- 
ilies in  the  city,  during  the  recess  of  the  Board,  and,  in  case  of 
emergency,  to  grant  them. 

MARINE    COMMITTEE. 

To  attend  to  the  distribution  of  the  Scriptures  among  seamen 
and  boatmen,  and  to  furnish  steamboats  and  the  shipping  in  the 
harbour  with  a  suitable  supply  of  Bibles  and  Testaments,  for 
the  use  of  their  crews  and  passengers  ]  also,  to  supply  the  ma- 
rine hospitals. 

EMIGRANT    COMMITTEE. 

To  attend  to  the  distribution  of  the  Scriptures  among  emi- 
grants. 

COMMITTEE    ON    NAVAL    STATIONS. 

To  visit  the  naval  stations,  and  naval  vessels  in  the  harbour  of 
New  York,  and  receive  all  applications  from  them  for  Bibles 
and  Testaments,  and  see  that  they  are  supplied. 

COMMITTEE    ON    MILITARY   POSTS. 

To  visit  the  military  posts  in  the  harbour  of  New  York,  and 
city  recruiting  stations,  and  receive  all  applications  from  them 
for  Bibles  and  Testaments,  and  see  that  they  are  kept  sup- 
plied. 


DOCUMENT    D.  103 

WARD    COMMITTEES. 

To  supply  destitute  families  in  their  respective  wards  with 
the  Bible,  and  destitute  children,  who  can  read,  with  a  copy  of 
the  New  Testament ;  and  also  to  see  that  a  supply  of  Bibles  and 
Testaments  for  distribution  is  kept  under  the  charge  of  the  chair- 
man of  the  ward  committee,  or  of  the  tract  missionary  of  the 
ward;  their  monthly  distribution  to  be  regularly  reported  to  the 
Board. 

COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    MEETINGS    AND    SERMONS. 

To  make  arrangements  for  the  anniversary  and  other  public 
meetings,  and  sermons  designed  to  promote  the  objects  of  the 
society. 

PRINTING    AND    PUBLISHING    COMMITTEE. 

To  attend  to  the  printing  of  the  society,  and  to  prepare,  and 
cause  to  be  inserted  in  the  newspapers  of  the  city,  such  commu- 
nications relative  to  the  society  and  its  operations,  as  may,  from 
time  to  time,  appear  calculated  to  interest  the  Christian  public 
in  its  behalf. 

COMMITTEE    ON    VACANCIES. 

To  nominate  candidates  to  fill  all  vacancies  which  may  occur 
in  the  Board,  first  satisfying  themselves  that  such  candidates 
are  of  good  Christian  standing,  and  that  they  are  willing  to  serve. 

AUDITING    COMMITTEE. 

To  audit  the  Treasurer's  accounts,  and  all  other  bills  and 
accounts,  before  being  presented  to  the  Board  for  payment. 


DOCUMENT   D. 

FINANCES. 
The  smallness  of  the   Society's  receipts  at  the 
first,  and  their  gradual  increase  with  the  increase 
of  its  work,  are  fully  shown  in  connection  with  its 


l04  APPENDIX. 

issues,  and  the  various  objects  of  its  labours,  in  the 
annexed  table  (Document  E) ;  but  the  statement 
thus  given  does  not  exhibit  the  processes  by  which 
the  funds  were  obtained. 

The  Finance  Committee,  appointed  at  the  first 
meeting,  was  aided  in  its  duties  by  every  member 
of  the  Board,  each  one  of  whom  was  provided  with 
a  small  book  for  the  purpose  of  recording  the 
names  of  such  annual  subscribers  and  donors  as  he 
might  obtain ;  and  by  the  earnest  members  of  the 
original  Board  many  names  and  donations  were  ob- 
tained and  reported  at  the  monthly  meetings  in  1824. 
In  the  memorandum  books  of  the  Officers  and  Man- 
agers the  names  of  annual  members  and  donors  lay 
scattered,  until,  in  the  fall  of  1824,  they  were  col- 
lected and  recorded  by  order  of  the  Board,  and  the 
number  of  subscription  books  reduced  to  six,  to  be 
used  by  members  in  rotation.  In  1 825-6-7-8,  the  So- 
ciety was  active,  and  through  the  strenuous  efforts  of 
the  Board,  the  receipts,  though  comparatively  small, 
steadily  increased.  For  this  object,  committees 
were  appointed,  from  time  to  time,  to  "visit  the 
Sunday  schools  of  the  city  with  a  book,  and  engage 
the  young  men  as  members,"  including  "  a  commit- 
tee of  two,  to  visit  the  village  of  Brooklyn  (whose 
Sunday  schools  were  furnished  with  Bibles  by  this 
Society),  to  solicit,  and  if  practicable,  form  a  plan 
for  annual  funds  from  that  quarter;"  and  a  sub- 
scription book  was  left  with  Moses  Allen  to  solicit 
aid  from  Sunday  School  No.  63,  at  New  Utrecht. 


DOCUMENT    D.  105 

The  city  of  New  York  was  also  divided  into  dis- 
tricts, and  committees  appointed  to  visit  them  (see 
page  20).  Many  of  the  members  of  the  Board  vol- 
unteered their  services  in  these  labours,  which  were 
.arduous  and  sometimes  discouraging. 

The  Finance  Committee  for  1829  was  composed 
entirely  of  volunteers,  and  in  this  year  the  first  in- 
stance occurs  of  the  members  of  the  Board  pledging 
themselves  in  advance  to  obtain  a  certain  number 
of  subscribers,  or  an  equivalent  in  funds.  This  was 
repeated  in  1830,  and  has  often  been  practised 
since.  In  1832  the  old  plan  of  each  member  carry- 
ing a  subscription  book  was  again  adopted,  and 
forty  books  ordered;  the  individual  responsibility 
of  members  being  urgently  pressed  upon  them  in 
this  connection.  In  this  year,  also,  church  commit- 
tees were  first  appointed,  and  such  appointments 
were  renewed  by  the  Board  from  year  to  year,  until, 
in  1840,  on  the  suggestion  of  the  Committee  of  Ways 
and  Means,  which  had  been  organized  in  1835,  that 
committee  was  authorized  by  the  Board  to  appoint 
general  and  individual  church  committees  annually, 
and  receive  reports  and  estimates  from  them,  which 
course  is  still  pursued.  This  measure  seemed  to 
complete  the  necessary  financial  agencies  of  the 
Board.  Material  for  circulation,  in  the  form  of  an- 
nual reports,  or  circulars  containing  abstracts  of 
the  labours  and  necessities  of  the  Society,  was  from 
time  to  time  furnished  to  the  Committee  of  Ways 


106  APPENDIX. 

and  Means,  and  to  the  Finance  Committee,  for  use 
in  tlie  discharge  of  their  duties. 

By  the  instrumentalities  thus  arranged,  almost  all 
the  funds  of  the  Society  have  been  raised ;  a  few 
legacies  of  small  amount,  and  a  few  donations  from 
without  our  limits,  being  excepted.  Among  the 
latter  may  be  named  a  donation  of  150,  in  1830, 
from  the  Young  Men's  Bible  Society  of  Brooklyn, 
organized  by  a  committee  of  our  Board  in  1827. 

In  this  department,  so  far  as  recorded,  only  two 
contributions  "  in  kind"  have  been  made ;  one  be- 
ing a  donation  through  the  Treasurer,  in  1826,  of 
two  dozen  of  Ritter's  razor-strops,  given  by  the 
maker  ;  and  the  other,  a  donation  in  1837,  from  Mr. 
Rand,  of  six  engravings  of  Lord  Bexley,  President 
of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society. 

The  following  is  the  form  of  a  bequest  to  the 
Society: 

I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  Executors  the  sum  of  dol- 
lars, in  trust,  to  pay  the  same  to  the  person  who,  when  the 
same  shall  be  payable,  shall  act  as  Treasurer  of  the  New  York 
Bible  Society,  formed  in  the  City  of  New  York,  in  the  year 
eighteen  hundred  and  twenty-three,  to  be  applied  to  the  charita- 
ble purposes  and  uses  of  the  said  Society. 


DOCUMENT    E. 


107 


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108  APPENDIX. 

DOCUMENT   F. 

SPECIAL  GRANTS 

MADE  TO  SABBATH  SCHOOLS  IN  VARIOUS  STATES  AND  TERRITO- 
RIESj  AND  ABROAD,  FROM  1829  TO  1843,  INCLUDING  A  FEW 
CITY    GRANTS. 

1829. 

Bibles.    Test's. 

To  a  ^'very  destitute"  S.  S.  at  Rye,  Westchester 

Co.,  N.  Y. 50 

S.  S.  at  Sawpits,  in  the  town  of  Rye      -         -  50 

'•     at  East  Hunter,  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y.,  "  on 

the  Catskills" 18 

"     at  Hackensack,  N.  J.,  by  Mr.  Hague       -  50 

"     at  Lexington,  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y.     -         -  18 

"  at  Paterson,  N.  J.,  "which  began  in  Jan- 
uary with  sixteen  scholars,"  and  in  Octo- 
ber had  200,  by  Mr.  C.  P.  Jacobs-         -  20  50 

"     at  White  Plains  and  Greensburgh,  by  Rev. 

Chester  Long 72 

"     at  Marlborough,  Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y.,  "  as 

premiums,"  by  E.  Pardee,  Sup't   -         -  12  8 

"     in  "  Dr.  Fisher's  Church,"  Paterson,  N.  J.  10  25 

1830. 
To  S.  S.  in  "  Elder  Daniel  Lewis'  Congregation," 

at  Paterson,  N.  J.         -         -         -         -  50 

'•     at  Sing  Sing,  by  request  of  Messrs.  L. 

Bleecker  and  S.  H.  Cone       .         -         -  50 

"     at  North  Hardiston,  N.  J.,  by  Rev.  E.  R. 

Fairchild 50 

"     on  Governor's  Island     -         .         -         -  25 

"     at  Saugerties,  Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y.     -         -  40 

"  at  Cold  Spring,  Putnam  Co.,  N.  Y.,  raised 
and  sustained  and  partly  supplied  by 
some  students  from  West  Point  Military 
Academy     ------  50 


DOCUMENT    F.  109 

Bibles.    Test's. 

To  S.  S.  at  Sawpits,  Westchester  Co.^  N.  Y.,  by 

Rev.  N.  C.  Saxton        ....  50 

"     "in   a   destitute    place    near    Palmyra, 

Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.,"  by  C.  L.  Roberts    -  2  20 

"     at  Sloansville,  Schoharie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  by 

Mr.  Wm.  Gooding         -         .         .         -  5  30 

"  at  Quincy,  111.,  of  about  100  scholars, 
which  had  been  in  operation  three  years 
without  being  able  to  procure  a  single 
Testament,  by  H.  H.  Snow   -         -         -  10        100 

"     at  Jacksonville,  111.        ...         -  50 

1831. 
To  S.  S.  seven  miles  from   Morristown,  N.  J., 

"  where  the  prayer  meetings  of  the  S.  S. 

are  the  only  religious  privileges  of  the 

neighbourhood" 10  20 

"     of  Baptist  Ch.,  Cairo,  Greene  Co.,  (on 

application  of  Rev.  Thomas  Stokes)     -  5         40 

"     in  Ripley,  Chautauque  Co.,  N.  Y.  -  5  25 

Rutherford   Co.   (N.  C.)  S.  S.  Union,  to  be 

used  in  their  S.  S.  (on  application  of  J. 

Forman) 200 

To  S.  S.  on  an  island  in  the  river  St.  Lawrence 

(S.  &  S.  Richards)       -         -         -         -  40 

"     in  New  London,  Conn.  -         .         -        -  50 

"    in  the  town  of  Neversink,  Sullivan  Co. 

(on  application  of  Erastus  Smith)         -  60 

Baptist  S.  S.,  Oyster  Bay  (Rev.  Mr.  Earle)    -  6  6 

S.  S.  at  Erie,  Penn.  (by  Rev.  S.  H.  Cone)        -  50 

"     at  Sawpits,  N.  Y.  (on  appl'n  of  G.  Sharp)  18 

Coloured  Charity  School  in  Pub.  S.  No.  10, 

containing    about   300    scholars   (some 

aged  and  infirm),  on  appl'n  of  J.  H. 

Taylor 12  50 


110  APPENDIX. 


Bibles.    Test's. 


6 

12 

25 

32 

25 

6 

20 

To  Sunday  and  Infant  School  at  Harlem    - 
S.  S.  in  Glasgow,  Ulster  Co.         -        -         - 
"     in  the  town  of  Esperance,  Schoharie  Co., 

N.  Y. 

Key  West  (appl'n  of  Floyd  Smith) 
S.  S.  at  Devil's  Half  Acre,  Greene  Co. 
''     in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  that  had  been  refused 

by  the  Co.  Society  ("Elder  Welsh's")    -  25 

N.  B.  In  the  next  month  they  returned  thanks, 
and  asked    for   twenty-five   more   (not 

granted)     

To  S.  S.  in  Haverstraw,  Rockland  Co.        -         -  6  20 

1833. 

To  S.  S.'s  in  Fayetteville  and  Hartsville,  Onon- 
daga Co.,  N.  Y.  .         -         .         .  20  75 

S.  S.  at  Fishkill  Landing  (St.  Ann's  Church, 

on  appl'n  of  John  Pintard) 
"     at  Oyster  Bay,  L.  I.      - 

D.  Lawrence,  for  use  of  a  Bethesda,  or  Orphan 
Asylum,  at  Pike,  Alleghany  Co.,  N.  Y. 

S.  S.  at  Wappinger's  Creek,  Dutchess  Co.     - 
"     Dayton,  Ohio  (Jas.  S.  Young) 

Soldiers  at  Fort  Dawson,  Ark.  Ter. 

Bethel  Union,  for  destitute  sailors  at  prayer 

meetings 25 

S.  S.'s  in  Lower  Canada,  Rev.  Wm.  R.  Hoyt  1,000 

"  Wilberforce  Col'd  Free  School  in  Bermuda" 
(Mrs.  J.  Holt),  and  Bibles  for  aged 
Christians 4  25 

S.  S.  in  Morris  Co.,  N.  J.     -         -        -        -  30 

1834. 
To  (D.  Lawrence)  Bethesda,  or  Orphan  Asylum, 

Pike,  Alleghany  Co.,  N.  Y.  -         -  5  30 


25 

25 

12 

10 

20 

10 

37 

12 

12 

libles. 

Test's. 

15 

15 

25 

30 

12 

24 

25 

100 

50 

50 

50 

400 

25 

•12 

10 

50 

40 

100 

6 

20 

DOCUMENT    F.  Ill 


To  S.  S.  at  Hobokeii  (Mr.  Rand) 

"     in  Michigan  -         -         _         -         - 

''     in  Mississippi 

Orphan  Asylum,  Buffalo  -  .  .  - 
Soldiers  at  Tampa  Bay,  Fla.  -  .  - 
S.  S,  of  St.  Matthew's  Ch.,  Jersey  City 

"     at  Holmdel,  N.  J.  -         .         -         . 

Exploring  Expedition 

S.  S.  in  Woodbridge,  N.  J.  (J.  R.  Church)     - 

"    in  N.J. 

"  of  French  adults  and  children,  Platts- 
burg,  N.  Y.  (Mr.  Boake)      - 

"  on  the  island  of  '•  Cananacut,"  R.  L,  and 
at  Cow  Hill  (Rev.  Mr.  Vinton     - 

"    at  Hallett's  Cove,  L.  1.  (Epis.  S.  S.)      - 

1839. 
To  S.  S.  (Isaac  Moses)  in  behalf  of  ladies  of  Heb, 

Congregation,  Crosby  Street         -         -  25 

Rev.  INIr,  Vinton,  Providence,  R.  I.       -         -  20  60 

1840. 
To  S.  S.  (Rev.  Mr.  Clark)  Paterson,  N.  J.           -  25 
Rev.  F,  Vinton,  for  Church  of  the  Ascension, 
Wakefield,  R.  I.,  one  quarto  and  ten  min- 
ion Bibles 11 

G.  Nathan,  for  Jewish  S.  S.  -         .         -  25 

S.  S.  in  Rockland  Co.  (col'd)        -         -         -  Q 

1841. 
To  Fort  Madison,  Iowa  Ter.      -         -         -         -  6  40 

S.  S.  of  Ref.  Dutch  Ch.,  Grand  Rapids,  111.  -  25  50 

1843. 
To  S.  S.,  Leesville,  N.  J. 25  40 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Libraries 


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